Spokespeople
For requests for information and/or requests for interviews, contact our advisory:
Amanda Cassab
Water Technical Analyst
Area of Expertise
Water resources, environmental licensing, georeferencing, effluent analysis, solid waste management.
Training
Graduated in environmental engineering from the São Paulo State University (UNESP), with specializations in environment and sustainability (Descomplica College) and occupational safety (Educamais College), and an MBA in project management (Descomplica College).
Experience
Environmental Analyst with experience in environmental legislation, particularly water resource management, with expertise in processes with CETESB, DAEE, IBAMA, and Sanitary Surveillance agencies. Amanda was the coordinator of Agente Muda, an Ambipar program, where she worked on process improvements, training, and communication for stakeholders such as residents and workers in the service, domestic, and maintenance sectors, and an analyst at SevenLab, Integrated Environmental Solutions, for monitoring environmental processes and providing guidance to clients. At CEBDS since 2025, the analyst is part of the Nature and Society Directorate team, supporting activities related to water.
Alexandre Bezerra
Consultant for the Thematic Chamber of Sociobioeconomics
Area of Expertise
Amazonia; Nature-Based Solutions, Natural Climate Solutions, Water Resources and Development in Traditional Communities.
Training
Graduated in geography from Estácio de Sá University and the State University of Pará (UEPA), specialist in geography and environment (Federal University of Pará – UFPA) and master in water resources, management and planning of river basins (UFPA).
Experience
Based in Pará, Amazon, this professional has worked in both the public and private sectors in areas such as strategic management, environment, and sustainability. He has held positions at the Amazon Sustainable Foundation and the State Secretariat for the Environment and Sustainability of the Government of the State of Pará. At CEBDS since 2022, Alexandre is responsible for mobilizing and engaging the multi-sectoral companies that make up the group, monitoring activities, and planning regional events.
Karina Simão
Consultant coordinating the Bioeconomy agenda
Area of Expertise
Amazon, bioeconomy, socio-bioeconomy, sustainable development
Training
Graduated in Social Communication from PUC-Campinas, with specializations in sustainability, social responsibility and corporate governance (Mackenzie) and socio-environmental business management (Escola Superior de Conservação Ambiental e Sustentabilidade – ESCAS/IPÊ).
Experience
With over 10 years of experience as a strategic management consultant for sustainability, she possesses extensive knowledge of methodologies such as the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI), the Corporate Sustainability Index (ISE B3), the Dow Jones Sustainability Indices (DJSI), and Sistema B. Karina has previously consulted for Report, Visão Sustentável, and BeBrasil. At CEBDS since 2021, she leads the bioeconomy and socio-bioeconomy agenda, collaborates on the planning and execution of projects for the Amazon agenda at CEBDS, and performs other related activities.
John Leal
Climate Policy Specialist at CEBDS
Area of Expertise
Climate change; Public policies; Climate policies; NDC; Climate Plan; Corporate decarbonization.
Training
He holds a degree in Public Administration from FGV and a master's degree in International Development (London School of Economics and Political Science – LSE, England).
Experience
A climate policy specialist with experience at the Climate and Society Institute, the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), and the Agora Movement. He is co-author of the State Yearbook on Climate Change and works as a consultant for the World Bank in monitoring and evaluating sustainable projects. At CEBDS since 2024, he follows the agenda of Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs), the Climate Plan, COP30, business transition plans, and climate finance.
Vanessa Pereira
Biodiversity Coordinator at CEBDS
Area of Expertise
Biodiversity; TNFD; Environmental governance
Training
Graduated in Law from the Catholic University of Petrópolis, with postgraduate studies in Environmental Law (Gama Filho) and Bioethics (Federal University of Lavras); Master's degrees in Social Sciences and in Development, Agriculture and Society, both from the Federal Rural University of Rio de Janeiro (UFRRJ).
Experience
Lawyer with over 15 years of experience in environmental governance, working with the private sector and on multi-sectoral projects. She has worked at law firms, NBCUniversal, and the Qatar World Cup (2022). At CEBDS since 2020, first as a consultant and then as Biodiversity Coordinator, she works on the planning, execution, and monitoring of advocacy and business engagement strategies on the biodiversity agenda, with a focus on topics such as the Taskforce on Nature-related Financial Disclosures (TNFD) and the implementation of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF).
Carla Gheler
Coordinator of Agri-food Systems at CEBDS
Area of Expertise
Regenerative agriculture; Agriculture; Agri-food systems.
Training
She holds a degree in Biology from UNESP and in Pedagogy from Universidade Santo Amaro, with a master's and doctorate in Forest Resources and Applied Ecology and a post-doctorate in Agroecosystem Ecology from the University of São Paulo (USP).
Experience
She has extensive academic and practical experience in agroecology, sustainable food systems, regenerative production, legislative consulting, and advocacy. She has worked as a researcher and professor at institutions such as Unipampa and Universidade do Sagrado Coração, and was also the fauna coordinator at Imazon. At CEBDS since 2022, she coordinates the Technical Chamber of Agri-food Systems (CT Alimentos).
Lucas Grilo
Manager of Sustainable Finance and Circular Economy at CEBDS
Area of Expertise
Sustainable finance; Circular economy; Climate risk management; Transport
Training
Chemical Engineer from the State University of Campinas, with a specialization in project management (SUNY New Paltz, USA) and a master's degree in Competitiveness and Sustainability (FGV).
Experience
He has over 10 years of experience in the financial sector, having worked at institutions such as Banco do Brasil, Banco Safra, Citi Bank, and KPMG. At CEBDS since 2024, he works to build bridges between companies, investors, and policymakers to accelerate the transition to a low-carbon economy.
Lucas Costamilan
Climate and Energy Manager at CEBDS
Area of Expertise
Energy; Energy transition; Decarbonization of the electricity sector.
Training
Production Engineer from PUC-Rio, with a postgraduate degree in Subsea Engineering (CEFET) and a master's degree in Strategic Leadership for Sustainability (Blekinge Tekniska Högskola, Sweden).
Experience
With extensive experience in international markets, he worked for about a decade in the oil and gas industry in countries such as Brazil, Costa Rica, South Korea, and the United States, with stints at Queiroz Galvão, Odebrecht, and the Latin American Leadership Academy. At CEBDS since 2025, he is dedicated to developing solutions for the energy transition in Brazil, focusing on multi-sectoral collaboration.








