Guillermo Chan

Guillermo Chan

CEO & Founder

Senior Sustainable Finance & Green Economy Specialist with over 20 years of experience advising governments, multilateral organizations, and NGOs across Latin America and the Caribbean. Recognized expert in conservation finance, protected areas sustainability, and ecosystem services valuation.

MSc Green Economy MSc Project Mgmt Stanford GRI Certified UNDP GEF IUCN RedLAC

A Career Bridging Finance & Conservation

Guillermo Chan is the founder and CEO of Green Sustainable Finance, a specialized consultancy firm operating at the intersection of corporate financial discipline and mission-driven conservation. With over 20 years of experience — including 17+ years as an independent consultant — he has advised governments, multilateral organizations, and NGOs across Latin America and the Caribbean on sustainable finance strategy, conservation fund design, and environmental economics.

His professional background uniquely combines corporate banking and finance expertise with deep specialization in conservation finance, protected areas sustainability, ecosystem services valuation, and green economy strategy. He holds a Master's in Green Economy from the Universitat de Lleida (Spain), a Master's in Project Management from CEUPE (Spain), and specialized training in Economic Tools for Conservation from Stanford Graduate School of Business.

Guillermo has evaluated over 40 conservation fund proposals for RedLAC, developed national protected area financial strategies for multiple governments, and delivered capacity building programs for organizations including UNDP, GEF, IUCN, and The Nature Conservancy across the region.

20+Years of experience
17+Years independent consulting
10+Countries in LATAM & Caribbean
40+Conservation fund proposals evaluated

Key Institutional Roles

2026
Finance Transformation Advisor FCF Consulting Partners

Consulting engagement supporting the transformation of finance & accounting functions, including governance, FP&A processes, and AI-enabled analytics for decision support.

2021 – 2026
Finance & Operations Director (CFO) UWC Costa Rica – United World College

Led Finance & Operations for an international educational institution, directing FP&A, multi-year budgeting, CAPEX planning for a new campus, and ERP implementation. Managed 30+ staff and advised the Board on financial strategy.

2017 – 2021
Vice President – Senior Financial Manager Citibank (Citigroup)

Senior finance leader for major Citigroup legal entities, delivering US GAAP financial analysis, regulatory reporting for FED/OCC, and leading 15+ team members across multiple finance functions.

2015 – 2017
Finance & Operations Manager FUNDECOR (Forestry & Conservation NGO)

Led overall financial management for an international conservation NGO, overseeing US-based donor funds, international grants, audit processes, and multi-year project financial sustainability.

2011 – 2014
Regional Finance Manager – Americas Grand Circle Travel

Financial leadership for US, Canada, and South America operations managing USD 10M+ in annual revenues, including pricing strategies, COGS analysis, and margin optimization.

2009 – 2011
Latin America Finance Manager Jones Lang LaSalle (Client: Procter & Gamble)

Regional finance manager for 10 sites across Latin America overseeing a USD 40M+ annual operating budget. Delivered ~USD 2M in annual cost savings through structured cost-reduction initiatives.

2004 – 2009
Finance Manager – Latin America The Nature Conservancy (TNC)

Finance lead for Costa Rica and regional programs, managing USAID and international donor funds. Recognized as a regional specialist in sustainable finance for protected areas; co-authored two published books on conservation finance.

1990 – 2004
CFO Assistant / Treasury Officer Banco Cuscatlán / Banco San José

Early career in banking, treasury operations, and financial management within Costa Rica's financial sector.

Academic Background & Professional Qualifications

Academic Background

2024
Master's in Project ManagementCentro Europeo de Postgrado (CEUPE) · Spain
2021
Master's in Green EconomyUniversitat de Lleida · Spain
2012
Project Management SpecialistInstituto Tecnológico de Costa Rica · Costa Rica
2007
Specialization in Economic Tools for ConservationStanford Graduate School of Business · USA
2007
Natural Resources Conservation TechniquesTecnológico de Monterrey · Mexico
2005
Bachelor's in Banking & FinanceInteramerican University of Costa Rica · Costa Rica

Certifications & Specializations

  • GRI Certified — Sustainability & ESG Reporting
  • US GAAP Reporting (FED / OCC Regulatory Framework)
  • Conservation Finance — The Nature Conservancy
  • Protected Areas Finance — IUCN & UNDP/GEF

Languages

SpanishNative
EnglishFluent

Teaching & Capacity Building

  • UNA-ICOMVIS and CATIE — Lecturer in conservation finance and green economy
  • UNDP / GEF / IUCN — Trainer for protected areas and biodiversity finance teams
  • Washington State University — Online sustainable finance course tutor
  • The Nature Conservancy — Sustainable Finance trainer, Latin America

Work With Our Team

Interested in sustainable finance advisory, conservation finance, or ESG strategy for your project?

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