Frances held the position of Director General at CIFOR from 2006-2012. She has held executive and influential positions with some of the world’s leading development, agricultural and environmental agencies. Her links to the rainforests of Southeast Asia date back to the early 1980s when she worked on USAID-funded agroforestry projects in the Philippines. Before joining CIFOR, Frances was the founding Director of the World Resources Institute’s (WRI) highly regarded Institutions and Governance Programme and Director of Development Assistance Policy at the World Wildlife Fund. Frances has written or contributed to many publications dealing with forestry, environmental and development issues in Asia, Africa and Latin America. She is highly regarded for her skill in communicating research to policy makers and practitioners.