Michael Spilsbury

Michael Spilsbury is an accomplished professional with extensive experience in evaluation and research management in environmental and forestry contexts. Currently serving as the Director of the Evaluation Office at UNEP since July 2005, Michael oversees corporate evaluation initiatives and activities, reporting directly to the Executive Director. Previous roles at UNEP included Senior Evaluation Officer, focusing on independent evaluations of projects, and GEF Evaluation Officer, providing methodological guidance for GEF projects. Michael also held the position of Senior Scientist and Research Evaluation Specialist at CIFOR, where responsibilities included developing research evaluation methods and conducting impact assessments across Sub-Saharan Africa. Additional experience encompasses leadership as Chairman of the Board of Directors at the International School of Bogor, managing project operations at Fountain Renewable Resources Ltd, and conducting post-doctoral research at the University of Manchester. Michael’s academic background includes advanced degrees from the University of Oxford and the University of York, emphasizing forest ecology and management.