Mike Griffiths is a Senior Consultant with Biodiversity Unlimited LLC bringing decades of experience in the conservation of large ecosystems. While most of this work has been in Indonesia where he worked in Java, Borneo and, especially, the northern part of Sumatra, he has also been engaged in Southern China and Kenya. His pioneering work in seeking protection for the Leuser Ecosystem in northern Sumatra resulted in the largest grant been given for conservation anywhere in the world at the that time. He is formerly a Director of BPKEL the government agency established by the Government of Aceh charged with the conservation and sustainable use of the Leuser Ecosystem.

    Mr. Griffiths brings a unique mixture of skills for understanding the role of conservation in regional development, as he spent most of his early career in the oil and gas industry working predominantly with Halliburton in various parts of the world including, the USA, Norway, Ireland, Japan, China and Indonesia. During this period Mr. Griffiths developed a high reputation in being able to turn around loss making operations into highly profitable ones.

 

     Mr. Griffiths academic qualifications also equip him to undertake his various disciplines, graduating with honours with a B.Sc in both Geology and Zoology at the University of Auckland New Zealand. He also undertook management training courses including graduating from the Roy Huffington Management School in 1979. Mr. Griffiths has many publications, including three books and authored (or co-authored) seven scientific papers on tropical ecology and conservation. His services to conservation were recognized by his being awarded the title “Officer of the Golden Ark” by Prince Bernhard of the Netherlands.