Steering Committee
Dumisani Nxumalo, Co-Chair
Dumisani Nxumalo is the Chief Operating Officer in the Presidential Climate Commission Secretariat. He joined the PCC in the role of a Project Coordinator supporting the Donor Coordination, Climate Finance and the Adaptation portfolios. Over the last five years, he has served in roles including: Acting Commission Secretary; Finance and Governance Manager; Manager: Adaptation and Resilience; and more recently Senior Manager: Partnerships & Project Support. Dumisani previously worked for the then Department of Environmental Affairs (now the Department of Forestry, Fisheries, and the Environment), the World Resources Institute, and the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit, (GIZ) GmbH.
Rick Smith, Co-Chair
Rick Smith has been President of the Canadian Climate Institute, Canada’s largest climate change research organization, since 2021. Throughout his twenty-five year career, Rick has held senior roles in many of Canada’s most important policy organizations. He holds a Ph.D. in biology, has authored two best-selling books on the human health effects of pollution, and was recently Executive Producer of an award-winning documentary focused on microplastics in the human body. He is based in Toronto.
Grant Blackwell
Grant Blackwell is the Chief Scientist with the New Zealand Climate Change Commission, He Pou a Rangi, having been with the Commission since our establishment in 2019. Grant is a member of the Commission’s Executive Leadership Team and is responsible for its quality management system, science strategy, and research partnerships program. He also serves as the organisation’s Chief Information Security Officer. Grant’s role focuses on how we access, present and understand information and knowledge to drive action.
François Dejean
François Dejean is Head of the Secretariat to the European Scientific Advisory Board on Climate Change, an independent advisory body established under the European Climate Law to provide scientific advice to the European Union on climate policy and targets. He has more than 20 years of experience working at the interface between science and policy, including on EU climate governance, transparency and progress monitoring frameworks, climate neutrality pathways and climate change mitigation policies. Before leading the Advisory Board Secretariat, he held expert and management positions at the European Environment Agency, including Head of Group for Climate Change Mitigation, Energy and Transport.
Carlos Morales Quiroz
Carlos Morales Quiroz is a Bioengineer with a Master’s in Industrial Engineering, specializing in public policy analysis and advanced data analytics. In his current role as the Technical Secretary of Chile’s Climate Change Scientific Advisory Committee at the Ministry of Science, he regularly combines rigorous engineering principles with global public management to deliver data-driven solutions to complex environmental challenges. Carlos’ professional profile is defined by a strong track record in international climate governance and diplomacy, highlighted by roles as national focal point for the Inter-American Institute for Global Change Research (IAI) and participation in IPCC workshops.
Sandra Onyeanusi
Sandra Onyeanusi is an environmental management professional with over 12 years of experience advancing climate policy and climate–health resilience in Nigeria. She serves as a Principal Scientific Officer at the Nigerian National Council on Climate Change, supporting adaptation strategies and advising on Climate Change Act implementation. She contributed to Nigeria’s First Biennial Transparency Report (BTR1) and supports preparations for BTR2 and NC4. She has contributed to key national frameworks, including the Health National Adaptation Plan and vulnerability assessments for healthcare systems. With a strong background in stakeholder engagement and evidence-based policy, she brings a practical Global South perspective and ability to translate complex data into actionable climate solutions.
Sophie Vipond
Sophie is the Director of External Affairs at the UK Climate Change Committee (CCC). She is a communications and engagement specialist with extensive knowledge of global climate policy and is experienced operating in international politics, business, and government. Sophie has led the communications strategy for the publication of the Seventh Carbon Budget, and the Well Adapted UK advice. Prior to working at the CCC, Sophie led external affairs for the international NGO, Climate Group. She focused particularly on projects around the phase out of petrol and diesel vehicles, and the uptake of EVs. Sophie also coordinated the organisation’s COP delegations and led the political engagement for Climate Week NYC.
Secretariat
Ben Rhodes
Head of Secretariat
Ben leads the ICCN Secretariat team, which aims to build capacity amongst our members, raise their profile internationally, and improve climate governance by strengthening the network. He is also the focal point for European councils. Before joining E3G, Ben worked as a British civil servant for 18 years in a wide range of roles, most recently in the International Climate Finance team leading on capacity building programmes.
Tessa Vincent
Partnerships and Capability Building Manager
Tessa facilitates knowledge-exchange and strengthening capabilities among ICCN members on mitigation and adaptation. Tessa is also the focal point for the Asia-Pacific regions. Tessa has a Law and Politics background and has worked for Judges and Members of Parliament in Aotearoa, New Zealand. She has experience in facilitating networks through the Race to Zero campaign led by the UN Climate Change High-Level Champions and the Aotearoa Food Rescue Alliance.
Izzy Page
Secretariat and Engagement Manager
Izzy leads events and communications at ICCN, as well as supporting Secretariat management. She is the regional lead for North America. Izzy previously managed climate-focused partnerships at The Conduit. She has an MSc in Nature, Society and Environmental Governance from the University of Oxford’s School of Geography and the Environment, where she conducted her dissertation research on Scottish energy workers’ lived experiences of energy transition.
Raisa Cole
Regional Lead, Africa
Raisa is an environmental governance expert with over 11 years of experience in climate policy and research. She has worked with international organisations such as GIZ, the World Food Programme, IFAD, and others to link local realities to global decision-making platforms. She considers herself an intersectional environmental feminist and is committed to integrating social justice issues into environmental agendas. She holds a Bachelor of Social Science Degree from the University of Cape Town and an MSc in International Cooperation and Urban Planning from the University Pierre Mendes, France.
Boris Lopicich
Regional Lead, Latin America and the Caribbean
Boris has over a decade of experience in climate, energy and environmental policy, legislative advisory work and international cooperation, including advising the Chilean National Congress on climate and energy legislation, just transition and parliamentary diplomacy. At ICCN, he focuses on strengthening climate governance, bridging science and policymaking, and supporting the establishment and development of climate councils across Latin America and the Caribbean. He holds an MSc from the London School of Economics and has an academic background in law, philosophy and environmental policy.