Birgitte works as a project manager at DOB Ecology in Veessen. Birgitte lived abroad for 14 years in the Philippines, Singapore, Hungary and Malaysia. In Asia, she worked for Dutch banks looking after major Dutch and Global Clients as their account manager.

She also spent time setting up a small business working with local communities producing handicrafts. She has been with the Family Foundation since 2014, managing projects in Kenya and Indonesia. Birgitte holds a MSc in Business Economics from the University of Groningen.

Marianne started her professional career working for HaskoningDHV on water management projects in the Netherlands and abroad, ranging from climate change adaptation strategies to dike reinforcement projects very often combined with nature restoration. After this she moved to Paraguay where she worked for 4 years as project manager for WWF Paraguay on several multi-stakeholder projects focused primarily on reducing deforestation in the Chaco Dry Forest. Marianne has previously worked for IUCN NL where she engaged with business and finance on greening their supply chains in cooperation with local CSOs in Latin America and the Philippines, amongst others.

Marianne holds an MSc in Systems Engineering, Policy Analysis and Management from the TU Delft, and an MSc. in General Linguistics from the University of Leiden.

Coen has a university degree in Business Administration. As CFO he worked in several large and small companies, across different sectors and different countries. He joined DOB Tree in 2022 as CFO. Coen is married to Nicole and they have one daughter.

Richard started as Director of DOB Ecology in May 2023.  Before this he worked in various senior management roles for Wetlands International, WWF and Deltares. Early in his career Richard was fortunate to gain experience in programme and policy matters with the GEF and the European Commission. He has a Master’s degree in environmental technology from Imperial College, London. Richard lives in Deventer, Netherlands, is married to Anka and has two sons.

Paul Verheul is the Executive Director of MerweOord (the Van Oord Family holding) since 2020, and has various (chairman of) Supervisory Board positions in the Maritime and Automotive industry. During the COVID-19 crisis he was also appointed by the Dutch Minister of Health, Welfare and Sport as Supervisory Board member of SON (Stichting Open Nederland – Foundation Open Netherlands). He was Executive Board member of Van Oord from 2011 till 2019, one of the world leading companies in Dredging and Offshore Wind. In that role he set up a sustainability program covering all operations worldwide and he was responsible for, among other things, the realization of agreed strategy and business-targets.
Paul Verheul started his professional career in 1981 at Royal Netherlands Navy (RNLN) in various jobs. In 1998 he shifted to the airline business in various roles; starting at Transavia Airlines as Vice President Engineering & Maintenance followed by a transfer to Schreiner Aviation Group as COO in 2003. From 2005 till 2011 Paul was appointed as CEO from the Driessen Aerospace Group (in addition to this CEO role, he was also appointed Member of the Executive Committee of Zodiac Aerospace in 2008).
Paul is married and has 3 children.

Bas Rüter is managing director of Landschap Noord-Holland. There, he and his team manage 5.500ha of nature, provide ecological monitoring and nature development consulting services and carry out concrete realisation of nature for clients. He serves in several biodiversity and agriculture related advisory boards of the Ministry of Agriculture, Food, Fishery and Nature (LVVN) and the Natuur Inclusief Nationaal Overleg. Bas has a longstanding experience in the sustainability and sustainable finance domains, including a role as founder and managing director of Triodos Investment Management, Global Head Sustainability & Climate and Global Head Food System Transition of Rabobank Group. He served in the G20 backed founding and development of the Taskforce for Nature Related Financial Disclosure, the Dutch Deltaplan Biodiversity and held senior roles in the World Business Council for Sustainable Development. He held ancillary positions in a.o. Bionext (the lobby organisation of the Dutch organic farming sector), the Topsector Agrifood Board, SHIFT Invest and Milieu Centraal.

Bas holds a Master degree in tropical ecology at Wageningen University. Next to his formal position he serves a.o. in the supervisory board of the Butterfly Foundation, the Holomicrobiome Innovation Institute and in the societal advisory council of RoyalFrieslandCampina.

Marielos Peña-Claros joined DOB Ecology’s board on 1 January 2025, bringing a wealth of experience in forest ecology and conservation. As a professor at Wageningen University & Research, she specializes in understanding the effects of human activity on tropical forests and promoting sustainable management practices. Originally from Bolivia, Marielos has held leadership roles, including Executive Director of the Bolivian Forest Research Institute, and is currently co-chair of the Science Panel for the Amazon. She is internationally recognized for her research on biodiversity, forest recovery, and sustainable land use, reflected in her extensive publication record and awards, such as the IUFRO Scientific Achievement Award. Marielos is married and has one daughter.

Jeroen Tobé has over fifteen years of experience in the asset management sector. After completing his education at IVA Driebergen Business School and the University of Amsterdam, he began his career at two asset management firms. In recent years, Jeroen Tobé has transitioned to working as a family officer at his own firm, where he focuses on managing and safeguarding family wealth with a focus on socially relevant investments. 

In addition to his position at DOB Ecology, Jeroen serves as secretary for three local animal welfare foundations in the central part of the Netherlands. He is also the chair of Stichting Vermeer 14, a philanthropic foundation provides financial support to a wide range with a focus on healthcare.