What does leadership look like in a world shaped by climate urgency, rapid technological change, and shifting economic systems? For Dr. Éliane Ubalijoro, it begins with one simple principle: understanding how everything is connected.
Born in Rwanda and raised across three continents, Dr. Ubalijoro brings a global, interdisciplinary perspective to her role as CEO of the Center for International Forestry Research and World Agroforestry (CIFOR-ICRAF) and Director General of World Agroforestry. Trained in agriculture and molecular genetics at McGill University, she has spent more than two decades working at the intersection of science, policy, and partnerships to advance sustainable development. She is also a member of ESCP’s Sustainability Advisory Council.
Her approach to leadership reflects this trajectory: one grounded in systems thinking, where environmental, technological, and economic challenges are deeply intertwined.
Nature as infrastructure
At the core of Ubalijoro’s leadership is a reframing: nature is not a passive backdrop to economic activity, but a form of infrastructure. Under her direction, CIFOR-ICRAF focuses on four interconnected areas: climate change mitigation and adaptation, biodiversity conservation, food and nutrition security, and sustainable livelihoods. Across all of these, trees and landscapes play a central role.
A perspective grounded in science, Dr. Ubalijoro’s research on fungi and plant root systems revealed how these underground networks reinforce soil structure, and how healthier soils absorb water more effectively, reducing the risk of floods, landslides, and droughts. Seen this way, ecosystems become functional systems. “When we think about our landscapes and nature as infrastructure,” she explains, “we are really thinking about how it protects and sustains us through climate resilience.”
Navigating technology with purpose
For Dr. Ubalijoro, artificial intelligence and digital tools hold significant potential, but only if they are used thoughtfully. “Just like a knife, AI and technology are a tool,” she notes. “It can be weaponised to destroy people’s lives, or it can be used to find the medicines of the future.” Too often, however, these systems are designed far from the contexts in which they are applied: a central challenge lies in inclusion.
Whether supporting women using data science to solve local challenges in West Africa, or collaborating with initiatives that integrate Indigenous knowledge into AI development, Dr. Ubalijoro advocates for systems that are both global and grounded. Just as ecosystems rely on diverse, interconnected networks, technological systems must also be inclusive and adaptive to function effectively.
Redefining leadership and value
Beyond science and technology, Dr. Ubalijoro challenges a more fundamental assumption: how we define value itself. She points to a growing shift in business and economics: moving beyond financial performance alone to include natural, human, and social capital. This “integrated value” approach reflects a simple reality: economic systems depend on environmental and social stability.
“If we don’t take care of nature, we don’t have economies,” she notes.
The implications are significant. Much of the funding required to address climate and environmental challenges will come from the private sector, placing businesses at the centre of the transition. The challenge is no longer awareness, but alignment, ensuring that economic activity operates within planetary boundaries.
Dr. Ubalijoro’s work extends into global governance as well. Appointed by UN Secretary-General António Guterres to the Independent Group of Scientists preparing the 2027 Global Sustainable Development Report, she contributes to shaping how sustainability is measured and understood at an international level.
Her appointment as the first African woman to lead a CGIAR Research Center also signals a broader shift. What appears as an individual milestone reflects a collective responsibility: opening pathways for more inclusive leadership in global institutions.
Leading for the long term
Across science, technology, and economics, one idea remains constant: resilience depends on connection.
Whether designing climate-resilient landscapes, developing inclusive technological systems, or rethinking economic models, Dr. Ubalijoro’s approach is grounded in long-term thinking across disciplines, sectors, and timescales. It challenges leadership models built on short-term results and isolated expertise.
