Robert Weary

In his seventeenth year with the Conservancy, Mr. Weary is currently leading an initiative to assist Small Island Developing States with debt-conversions to finance marine conservation and adaptation to climate change.  Rob’s experiences include work on numerous debt-for-nature swaps in Latin America and the Caribbean, the design and establishment of an eight country US$42 million regional endowment (Caribbean Biodiversity Fund) and the associated national-level trust funds, resulting in hundreds of millions of dollars in sustainable financing for conservation projects in those countries.  Furthermore, Rob was the primary architect of the“Caribbean Challenge,” an eight country regional initiative to place 20% of these countries nearshore marine area under protection by 2020 and develop sustainable finance mechanisms to finance the countries national systems of Protected Areas.  

He joined the Conservancy afte rworking in the World Bank’s Investment Management Department.  Prior to this, Rob served as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Guatemala, working with indigenous subsistence level farmers on improved seed selection and post harvest management. Rob holds a BA in Foreign Affairs from the University of Virginia and a Masters in Social and Economic Development, with a Certificate in Latin American Studies, from the University of Pittsburgh.