Michael Riggs Email & Phone Number

Rome, It

I advise the Global PSSL Secretariat on the development and application of voluntary sustainability standards, and linkages between sustainable finance and the broader sustainable development agenda including the Sustainable Development Goals. (This work is ad personam and pro bono. Global PSSL is governed and run by a non-profit and impartial Community Interest Company registered in England and Wales.)

Rome, Latium, Italy

I provide programmatic and operational leaderships for the “Responsible Fruits” project. The project works with companies operating in avocado and pineapple supply chains to strengthen or establish risk-based due diligence systems that will make their operations more sustainable and resilient to shocks such as COVID-19. The project facilitates a confidential environment for peer learning on pre-competitive issues. It is developing a series of demand-driven guides to address specific technical challenges (e.g. adapting to climate change, measuring carbon footprints, improving due diligence) identified by project participants. It has analyzed the policy environment and incentives, aiming to identify opportunities to accelerate sustainable investment in these supply chains.The project builds on more than a decade of FAO experience working with the private sector on tropical fruits. This includes animating the World Banana Forum, which enables industry players to discuss, seek technical support, share good practice and access innovative research on sustainability in the banana sector. It also builds on work with leading enterprises and industry associations to apply risk-based due diligence recommendations in the OECD-FAO Guidance for Responsible Agricultural Supply Chains.

Rome, Italy

I led a multi-disciplinary team responsible for the development and implementation of projects supporting responsible investment and the application of the CFS Principles for Responsible Investments in Agriculture and Food Systems (CFS-RAI).I developed the four year, USD 39 million Umbrella Programme to support advocacy, capacity development and enhanced data for decision making on responsible investment. Within this framework and though collaboration with partners from different sectors, I secured about USD 3 million of extra-budgetary support for operational projects and identified an additional USD 4.3 million in pipeline resources. With my guidance the RAI team developed and delivered capacity assessment tools and processes that have been applied in countries in Africa, Asia, and Latin America, new learning programmes on responsible investment for policy makers and the private sector, and legal guides on responsible investment. I coordinated FAO’s technical advisory services on the development of the ASEAN Guideline Supporting Responsible Investment in Food, Agriculture and Forestry, the first regionalization of the CFS-RAI.

Rome Area, Italy

Programme development and management. Supporting responsible investment in agriculture and food systems, in particular through the development of capacities of different actors.Capacity development strategy in the context of agriculture, food security and rural development programs.Support for partnerships to solve complex problems and achieve zero hunger, and the appropriate use of innovative information and communication technologies for development (ICT4D).

Songdo-Dong, Incheon City, South Korea

Responsibilities:- Develop and implement projects and programs to improve the use of ICT for sustainable development in the Asia-Pacific region.- Implement ICTD capacity development for government officials.- Enhance ICT learning in universities in Asia-Pacific.- Build partnerships with important stakeholders to enhance the sustainability, scale and impact of the Centre's programmes.- Programme development, implementation, monitoring and evaluation, reporting.- Mobilize funding and other resources from bilateral donors.[This position was on secondment.]

Rome Area, Italy

Responsibilities:- Identified challenges and emerging topics in the field of information and communication technologies for agricultural development. Led collaboration with leading practitioners in FAO and partner institutions (e.g. CTA, GIZ, Grameen Foundation, IICA, IICD, IFAD, USAID, World Bank) to bring focus and context to topics, identify good practices, develop benchmarking frameworks.- Lead facilitator of the e-Agriculture Community. Managed all aspects of the Community’s strategy, activities and operations. In three years, expanded membership from 2,000 to 10,000 individuals from over 150 countries, making it the world’s largest network of individuals active in the ICT for agriculture field and a globally important platform for partnerships and capacity development.- Mobilized resources (funding and in-kind support) from bilateral and multi-lateral development organizations.- Organized 20 online asynchronous discussion forums, from topic identification, securing in-kind support from development organizations and thought leaders, facilitating discussion, reporting, publishing and disseminating policy documents.- Developed and implemented communication strategy including pioneering use of social media (grew Twitter account from zero to 15,000 followers).- Systemized knowledge sharing, community of practice management and social media use in projects to improve performance of my team, FAO and other UN agencies, through facilitation, documentation and expert advice.- Represented FAO in high-level diplomatic events.- Prepared reports to the UN Secretary General, the World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS) Secretariat, and other key United Nation bodies.- Supervised and mentored consultants, interns and volunteers.

Asia-Pacific

Responsibilities:- Established FAO’s information management program in the Asia-Pacific region.- Implemented information and communication technology (ICT) for development projects and managed partner relationships across 44 countries, including projects in Bangladesh, China, India, Indonesia, Lao PDR, Philippines, Sri Lanka, and Thailand.- Provided technical support on information and knowledge management to a variety of regional and national programmes in the areas of agriculture, food security and rural development.- Implemented 4 year, USD450,000 information management project funded by the Government of Japan to improve food security policy decisions in Bangladesh, Indonesia, Lao PDR, and Sri Lanka. Responsible for planning and delivering capacity building at national and regional level, budget management, project reporting, hiring and managing consultants, multilingual website development.- Identified and supported key regional and national partners to create a sustainable IKM capacity and networks for improved agricultural development.- Managed and edited publications on good practices in the use of ICT for development.- Identified the need for and mobilized resources for the expansion of information resources in national languages (e.g. Indonesian, Lao, and Thai).- Led the establishment of new partnerships and new communities of practice, conducted information assessments, formulated knowledge strategies, increasing the impact of good practices.- Established a digital publications workflow for the region and improved the accessibility and dissemination of the Organization's regional information products.

Thailand

APHCA is the Animal Production and Health Commission for Asia and the Pacific (http://www.aphca.org), and intergovernmental organization that promotes information generation and exchange, provides normative guidance and coordinates joint action among members countries and other stakeholders in the region for development led by the livestock sector.Responsibilities:- Developed and implemented a new digital media strategy to increase knowledge sharing and information dissemination, expand audience and simultaneously reducing total communication-related costs.- Prioritised reaching organisations and individuals in low bandwidth areas of Asia-Pacific.- Conducted dialogues with members and online surveys to update APHCA’s online image and communication strategy.- Modernised and increased efficiency of the publications work flow.

New York City, New York

Promoted to positions of increasing seniority/responsibility based on successful performance: New Business Development Director (1997-8), Manager (1995-6), Coordinator (1993-4). As Director held responsibility for all aspects of international project development and technology transfer on projects spanning Asia, North America and Europe.- Market research and partnerships management to expand product portfolio.- Project management, including information workflows and data needs assessment for regulatory authorities.- Coordination of multinational, multilingual teams to achieve targets with accuracy, speed and efficiency.- Supervised staff and consultants responsible for market research and intellectual property rights. - Served as board member of US subsidiary Midori Pharmerica Inc. from 1995 to 1998.

New York City, New York

- Created marketing strategy to promote new technologies and secure income streams from licensing of intellectual property. - Presented opportunities to decision makers from private sector.- Maintained and extended database of private industry contacts.- Supported in-house patent and licensing legal team.

Palo Alto, Ca

- Worked as part of a multidisciplinary, multicultural team developing new treatments for human disease using genetic engineering skills.- Published research, presented project results and ideas for new strategies to staff and board members.- Recruited new staff.

Mba, Organizational Management & Marketing

Activities and Societies: Japan Students Assoc. and Japan Study Tour (1992)

Ma, Economics And International Finance

Thesis: (2002) "Productivity growth caused by trade induced learning". A quantitative analysis of trade as a factor of productivity (TFP).

Bachelor Of Arts (B.A.), Microbiology. Genetic Engineering Specialisation.