Yolanda Kakabadse is a native of Ecuador and served as Minister of Environment for the Republic of Ecuador from August 1998 until January 2000. Ms. Kakabadse served as NGO Liaison Officer for the United Nations Conference for Environment and Development (the Rio Earth Summit) in 1992, coordinating the participation of civil society organizations in the conference. Former President of the World Conservation Union (IUCN) (1996 - 2004).

In 1979 she was appointed Executive Director of Fundacion Natura in Quito, where she worked until 1990. Ms. Kakabadse helped Fundacion Natura become one of Latin America's most important environmental organizations through the development of important processes for Ecuadorian society and the international community. In 1993 she founded Fundacion Futuro Latinoamericano, an NGO she served as Executive President until 2007 and is now its Senior Adviser. Fundacion Futuro Latinoamericano designs and organizes policy dialogues on sustainable development among decision makers in Latin American. She chaired the Scientific and Technology Advisory Panel of the Global Environment Facility (STAP / GEF) from 2005 to 2008.

Ms. Kakabadse is a Trustee of the Ford Foundation and President of Worldwide Fund for Nature (WWF) International from January 2010.