Maria Francesch-Huidobro

A senior environmental sustainability and CSR professional with a unique combination of experience which includes over a decade as an Executive Director of an NGO in Hong Kong, policy experience in the Hong Kong legislature combined with a decade of Asian sustainability projects and research backed up with an impressive multidisciplinary academic background covering microbiology, politics & policy, environment and sustainability.

Maria’s thirty years in Hong Kong, her extensive knowledge of the region, the key individuals and institutions she interacts with in the environment/sustainability field combined with her fluency in Cantonese and systems thinking skills to integrate insights from across fields make her a credible and powerful force for any organization wishing to advance sustainability and environmental issues in Hong Kong and the region.

Key Focus Areas

• Sustainable Development
• Corporate Social Responsibility
• Environmental Policy and Politics
• Water and Climate Governance
• Climate Change Governance
• Urban Energy Transitions

Key Skills

• Environmental and sustainability leadership
• Well networked within the environmental ecosystem in Asia and Europe
• Environmental and sustainability consulting
• Legislative policy
• Scoping, pitching, selling and delivering projects
• Project management and execution
• Public relations and communications
• Knowledge transfer
• Innovation management
• Team management
• Budget management

Companies

• Adjunct Professor The Chinese University (2019)
• Expert Advisor Carbon Care Asia Ltd (2018 — 2019)
• Principal Consultant Konrad Adenauer Foundation (Germany) (2016 — 2019)
• Environment, Sustainability and CSR Senior Leader The University of Hong Kong (2013 — 2016)
• Assistant Professor, Department of Public Policy & School of Energy and Environment City University of Hong Kong (2008 — 2016)
• Assistant Professor and Teaching Consultant The University of Hong Kong (2005 — 2008)
• Tutor (PhD Candidate), Department of Politics and Public Administration The University of Hong Kong (2001 — 2005)
• Legislative Assistant to Legislative Counselor, the Honorable Christine Loh Kung-wai Legislative Council, Hong Kong (1999 — 2000)
• NGO Director East Asian Educational Association (EAEA-Hong Kong) NGO (1993 — 1999)

Education

• Doctor of Philosophy, Political Science and Public Administration The University of Hong Kong (2001 - 2005)
• Masters of Public Administration The University of Hong Kong (1998 - 2000)
• Certificate in Public Policy and Leadership The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (2015)
• Certificate in Chinese Language The University of Hong Kong (1987 — 1989)
• MSc in Food Microbiology Madrid, Spain (1981 — 1982)
• BSc in Food Microbiology Madrid, Spain (1977 — 1981)