Team - Clarmondial

Independent, employee-owned, women-led.

Our team combines finance and environmental science backgrounds to deliver actionable, profitable and creative solutions for social and environmental businesses and their funders.

Core team

Partner - Latin America
Natasha Barantseva

Co-founder, Director

Tanja Havemann

Tanja has over 20 years of experience in environmental finance. She has led mandates with companies, private and public investors, governments, NGOs and foundations on investments, research, strategy development and advisory. Since establishing Clarmondial in 2010, Tanja has launched innovative investment vehicles and successfully linked sustainable natural resources initiatives, sustainable supply chains, and capital markets. Prior to establishing Clarmondial, she worked for several private investors on renewable energy, agroforestry, and carbon mandates, and originated, executed, and advised on transactions at Climate Change Capital, a boutique merchant bank. Tanja has an LLM in Environmental Law and Policy from University of Kent, and an MSc in Applied Environmental Economics (Imperial College London), and a BSc (Hons) in Tropical Environmental Science from University of Aberdeen. She has authored journal articles and papers on blended finance, climate finance, and impact investing. She also supports other mission-aligned organizations including as an independent board member of Heifer International and a Technical Advisory Group member of the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi) Technical Advisory Group (TAG). She was born and raised in Tanzania and Kenya, and speaks English and Danish fluently, and limited German, Portuguese and Swahili.

Co-founder, Partner

Fred Werneck

Fred is a specialist in private investments in emerging markets and financial structuring, with over 25 years of experience across various markets and financial products. He co-founded Clarmondial with Tanja Havemann in 2010, to design and implement investment solutions within the natural resource management sectors. Fred also acted as Chief Investment Officer of IFIT Fund Services from 2013 to 2016. Prior to joining IFIT, he was the fund manager of responsAbility Ventures I, a venture capital fund for businesses that address basic needs of low-income population in emerging markets. During his nearly 5 years at responsAbility, Fred led equity and quasi-equity investments in multiple sectors and continents, heading a team that analysed some 2’000 SMEs and microfinance institutions. He worked in investment banking (Mergers & Acquisitions) in South America from 1999 to 2006, before earning an MBA at London Business School, and leading climate-related investments at Climate Change Capital, a London-based asset manager. Swiss and Brazilian, Fred is a native Portuguese speaker, is fluent in English and Spanish, speaks French and is learning German.

Partner

Kaspar Baumann

Kaspar has over 15 years of experience in private investments in emerging and frontier markets, primarily in financial inclusion and sustainable natural resource management. Previously, he worked at a Swiss asset manager specialized in impact investments, where he was responsible for private equity investments in financial institutions in 14 countries Africa, Asia, Europe and Latin America. Since 2014, Kaspar is an independent member of the board of directors of an SME-focused bank in North Macedonia. He holds an MSc in Neuroscience from the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Zurich and an MBA from Saïd Business School (University of Oxford). He speaks German, English, French and Spanish.

Partner - West Africa

Soumaila Diakite

Based in Abidjan, Soumaila brings over 15 years of experience in private and impact investments, with a strong focus on agriculture and sustainable development. Before joining Clarmondial in 2018, he worked with a private equity fund manager specializing in equity and debt investments in agricultural value chains across six West African countries, as well as with the asset management division of a West African banking institution. From 2018 to 2021, Soumaila served as an independent board member for a sesame production company and as a consultant for the Climate Policy Initiative’s Sustainable Agriculture and Southern Africa streams within the Global Innovation Lab for Climate Finance. Since October 2021, he has been a member of the Finance, Mechanization, and Donor Alignment Committee of the ECOWAS Rice Observatory (ERO). He holds a degree from the Ecole Supérieure de Commerce d’Abidjan (ESCA), an MSc in Finance from EM Lyon Business School, and completed the Executive Programme on Impact Investing at Saïd Business School, University of Oxford.

Partner - East Africa

Herbert Hatanga

Based in Nairobi, Herbert has over 20 years of experience across finance, banking and business operations. In parallel to his mandate with Clarmondial, he is managing the last divestments of an agricultural fund for East Africa. Until 2018, he was Group CFO at Milbridge Holding, a construction material manufacturer, where he oversaw the accounting, fundraising and project management of new initiatives, among other functions. Prior to that, he worked as an Investment manager at Fanisi Capital, building on his previous experience in various roles in banking and venture capital, funding and supporting SMEs across sectors in Rwanda and Uganda. He holds a Bachelor of Statistics from Makerere University and a Postgraduate Diploma in Financial Management from Uganda Management Institute. He speaks English and has limited knowledge of Swahili and is fluent in several local dialects indigenous to Uganda and Rwanda.

Partner - Latin America

Natasha Barantseva

Based in Lima, Natasha has 18 years of experience in impact investing, sustainable finance, and fund management, with a focus on agribusiness and economic inclusion in Latin America. Before joining Clarmondial, Natasha was Managing Partner at Andes Impact Partners, where she led the strategy development, fundraising, and pipeline building for a mezzanine debt fund focused on growth-stage SMEs in sustainable agribusiness in Peru and Colombia. Previously, Natasha served as Regional Director for Latin America at Grassroots Business Fund (GBF), where she structured and managed a portfolio of long-term investments and technical assistance projects in businesses along the agricultural supply chain, fostering economic opportunities for underserved communities while promoting sustainable land use practices. Earlier in her career, Natasha worked with the International Finance Corporation (IFC), where she contributed to financial structuring and advisory services for high-impact businesses in emerging markets. Natasha holds an MBA from Georgetown University, a Master of Arts in Liberal Studies from Dartmouth College, and a Bachelor of Economics from the International University of Moscow. She is fluent in English, Spanish, and Russian.

Julia Langenegger

Julia has developed strong expertise across financial analysis, sustainability and business strategy through a range of professional roles across three continents, and academic achievements. Before joining Clarmondial, she worked at a leading impact investment firm in Switzerland. She has earned a Private Markets and Alternative Investments certificate issued by the CFA Institute and holds a B.Sc. in International Hospitality Management from Ecole hôtelière de Lausanne and a M.Sc. in Responsible Management with specialisation in sustainable businesses and human rights from the University of Geneva.

Elisa Cifiello

Elisa has professional experience working in international development, specializing in climate change and smallholder farmers. She brings skills in data analytics and impact reporting, where she previously worked at the United Nations (IFAD) and the European Central Bank, focusing in climate finance, climate risk management, and social inclusion mainstreaming. She holds an MA in Sustainable Finance at the Frankfurt School of Finance and Management, where she wrote her thesis on asset managers’ sustainability strategies in convergence with the EU’s Sustainable Finance Disclosure Regulation (SFDR), and a BA from Boston University in International Relations specializing in Sustainable Development in Asia. Elisa grew up in Bangladesh, Israel, and the United States, speaks both English and Italian, and limited German and Spanish.

Madeleine Pollock

Madeleine has over five years of professional experience in the private investment space, focused on sustainable and impact investing. She recently completed her MBA at London Business School, where she specialized in Sustainability and gained exposure to various sectors in venture capital and climate, including the carbon markets and blue economy. Prior to this, she worked at Manulife Investment Management, a global asset management firm, where she played a key role in shaping and implementing the sustainable investing strategy across their private equity and infrastructure teams. Originally from Canada, Madeleine is now based in London, UK.

Selected advisors

Dr. Christine Negra

Christine has a PhD in Soil Science from the University of Vermont and is an internationally recognised expert in sustainable land management. Building on her early career as a soil chemist and agricultural Extension agent, Christine has led research programs for EcoAgriculture Partners, the CGIAR Climate Change, Agriculture and Food Security Program (CCAFS), and the H. John Heinz III Centre for Science, Economics and Environment. She has also delivered multi-disciplinary research projects with the World Bank, the International Finance Corporation, the World Agroforestry Center, the Dutch Sustainable Trade Initiative, CSIRO, and the US Environmental Protection Agency. Based in New York City, Christine’s work emphasizes policy and finance innovation to address climate change and other challenges facing agricultural landscapes.

Christian Speckhardt

Christian led the growth of responsAbility from USD 80 million in 2006 to over USD 3 billion in AUM in 2018 as CIO, member of the investment committee and member of executive management responsible for debt financing activities, origination, portfolio management, risk management, operations and finance. Following a degree in banking & finance, Christian worked at Credit Suisse First Boston’s corporate, investment banking and credit risk departments before joining Zurich Insurance Group’s group treasury corporate finance departments. He later headed the investor relations department of a small listed private equity company and became group treasurer of the Swiss cable and telco company Cablecom (including during its IPO preparations and trade sale).

Dr. Débísí Àràbà

Débísí is a public policy and strategy specialist. He is currently the Managing Director at the African Green Revolution Forum – AGRF, following almost 4 years as the Regional Director for Africa at the CGIAR’s International Center for Tropical Agriculture (CIAT), focusing on climate-smart agriculture, building ecosystems action, sustainable food systems and big data. He was previously the Senior Technical Adviser on Environmental Policy to the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development in Nigeria and the team leader of the Environment and Climate Change Unit in the Ministry (2012-2015). Débísí holds a MSc in Clean Technology from the University of Newcastle Upon Tyne, a Doctorate degree from Imperial College London and a Master in Public Administration from the Harvard University Kennedy School of Government.

Dr. Cathy Farnworth

Cathy is a gender specialist with over 20 years’ experience in pro-poor and gender-responsive value chain development, mainstreaming gender in projects and research, and gender-transformative methodologies. Cathy has a particular interest in change processes and how they are affecting smallholder agriculture systems. She has lived and worked in Madagascar, Kenya, Syria and China, and has obtained significant experience in other countries in Sub Saharan Africa and South and South East Asia. Former employers include the International Wheat and Maize Improvement Center (CIMMYT), World Vegetable Center, and others. Cathy has a PhD from the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences and a Masters in Gender Analysis in Development. She is based in Germany, and speaks fluent German and English and limited French. Cathy advises Clarmondial on gender-related topics.

Director of Clarmondial AG

Piera Waibel

Piera has more than 20 years of experience in sustainability management and research, with a broad track record of working in companies, NGOs, foundations and management consulting. Her focus and passion lie on sustainable/regenerative agricultural supply and food systems, rural and agricultural development, inclusive business solutions, poverty alleviation, biodiversity and the regeneration of ecosystems – especially when these areas are linked, and complex issues need to be solved. Piera has an Economics and Sustainability background with a PhD from the University of Zurich, for which she spent 1.5 years at the Tropical Agricultural Research and Higher Education Centre (CATIE) in Turrialba, Costa Rica.

Jacques Taylor

Jacques has over 20 years of experience in banking, agricultural finance, credit operations and commodity trading internationally, with a particular focus on Sub Saharan Africa. He’s a managing director at CNH Industrial , where he has responsibility for the CASE IH brand in Southern Africa. Previously, Jacques led John Deere’s Agricultural & Turf Sub Saharan African operations, after acting as Managing Director of John Deere Bank in Luxembourg (2015-18) working across the European Union, and John Deere Financial in Sub Saharan Africa and Thailand (2013-15). Prior to joining John Deere, he worked as the Director of Specialized Finance at Stanbic IBTC Bank in Nigeria (2011-12) and Director of Agricultural Banking for Africa at Standard Bank (2008-11). Jacques started his career in positions at Standard Bank (South Africa), Nedbank and Suidewes Co-Op. Jacques is South African. He graduated from UNISA (South Africa) and holds a SAFEX Trader Certificate from the Johannes Stock Exchange.

Frank Hicks

Based in Costa Rica, Frank has circa 30 years experience with sustainable land management investments, including sourcing, investments and technical assistance. He has significant experience with supporting new funds in the sustainable commodities sector, having acted as board chair (and currently as board committee member) to Root Capital and board member to the EcoEnterprises Fund. Frank also has extensive technical know-how through his work with Forest Trends, Rainforest Alliance, TechnoServe, USAID Biodiversity Conservation Network and the Ford Foundation. Frank holds a BA from Stanford in Human Biology and a Master in Public Policy from Harvard, John F. Kennedy School of Government.

Danny van Det

Danny has gained vast experience in banking with a focus on agriculture, credit, and risk, both in the Netherlands and abroad. In the Netherlands he has worked both for local banks and the Rabobank HQ until he moved to Tanzania in 2008 to become the Chief Credit Officer and later Chief Risk Officer of the NMB bank. In 2013, he left for Brazil to become Executive Director – Credit for Banco Sicredi (a major cooperative bank). In 2018, Danny returned to Africa to become the Chief Financial & Risk Officer of the Farm to Market Alliance based in Nairobi, Kenya. Since November 2019 he is the Risk Manager of Banco Regional (Paraguay), a Rabobank investee. Danny has a degree in Economics from the Erasmus University in Rotterdam and speaks Dutch, English, Portuguese, Spanish and Surinamese.

Orissa Samaroo

Orissa has over 12 years of experience in international conservation, public funding, project design, monitoring, and evaluation. Originally from Georgetown, Guyana, Orissa joined Conservation International in April 2011 and currently is the Vice President / lead of the Conservation International Global Environment Facility (GEF) Agency (CI-GEF Agency). Before joining Conservation International, she worked at the Global Environment Facility on the Operations and Business Strategy Team and at the World Bank in the Water and Sanitation Program. Orissa has a Masters in International Development with a concentration in Environmental Management from the George Washington University.

Jean-Paul Gennari

Jean-Paul is an independent director of investment funds (e.g., with DLE, Fundamenta, responsAbility), management companies (e.g., VP Fund Solution, LFE Asset Management), and various investment entities, specializing in UCITS as well alternative funds, in real estate, infrastructure, agriculture, energy. Jean-Paul has 40 years of experience in the financial sectors working for private banks, central banks, management companies and various service providers. From 2004 to 2014 he was the CEO of UBS and Credit Suisse Fund Services and from 2015 to 2017 the COO of Nomura Bank in Luxembourg. In these functions, he worked with leaders of financial institutions and launched, administered, and controlled various fund structures. In 1998 and 1999 he was part of the project group to launch the Luxembourg Central Bank.

Chris Knowles

Christopher (Chris) Knowles has over 40 years’ experience in projects, infrastructure and environmental finance and economics, much of it at the European Investment Bank (“EIB”), heading its infrastructure and environmental investment funds business from 2005 to 2017 (clean energy, energy efficiency, carbon finance and natural capital). From 2000 to 2005 he led EIB’s financing in the transport and infrastructure sectors in Spain, then Europe’s largest national infrastructure programme, much of it in public-private partnership form. He spent the 1980-90s in similar jobs elsewhere in Europe and in Africa. Prior to EIB he worked for the Lesotho National Development Corporation, the European Commission and Lazard Brothers. Chris also serves as a NED on a number of private equity and debt funds pursuing ESG and impact strategies globally. He is a member of various advisory committees, including that for the Climate Bond Initiative and the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (“OECD”) Centre for Green Finance & Investment. Chris holds degrees in Economics and Management from the University of Durham.

Karla Canavan

Karla has over 25 years of experience in agribusiness supply chains, trading, investment, wealth management, and finance. During her 20-year career in agribusiness giants Cargill and Bunge, she worked directly with producers and end users to determine logistics, pricing, and marketing, granting her the firsthand field experience in the value chains of grains (corn, wheat), oilseeds (soybeans, canola, sunflower), tree crops (oil palm, cocoa, coffee), biofuels and feed markets. She has managed projects and teams globally with emphasis on emerging and development markets across geographies including Latin America, Africa, Southeast Asia, India, and China. She has been active in sustainability markets since 2007, developing the origination strategy for Bunge and directly managing projects which included REDD+, emission reductions, impact investing, clean energy, structured finance, sustainable agriculture, sustainable farming, renewables, waste management, conservation finance, and supply chain optimization, among others. Karla has traded derivatives, stocks, currencies, agricultural commodities, biofuels, and carbon among others.