Our team

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As a director, Mark likes to think creatively and in solutions. That, and the interaction with people is what keeps him going. In the meantime, he is our greatest idealist at Probos. With every project he checks whether it will make the world a little better, because otherwise you shouldn't do it, he believes. Always look at the impact of projects: does it contribute to good forest management, does it benefit biodiversity or the soil? It is therefore not surprising that he is much concerned with making the wood supply chain more sustainable as well as with the relationship between forest management and biodiversity.

His favorite tree or forest? "Chilean Patagonia. In an afternoon you can cycle from the temperate rainforest on the coast to above the tree line. Uphill you enter forests with alerce, the largest tree in South America, which grows very slowly and can live for thousands of years.”

Mark has international work experience in Chile, Mexico, Peru, Canada, Ukraine, Guatemala, Indonesia, Suriname, the Republic of Congo, Cameroon and Finland. He has been involved in the certification of sustainable forest management since the 1990s and has written many publications. He is co-author of several books on forest history, forest management and biodiversity, and forest expansion. Mark actively searches with partners for ways to give forests more value(s) and through this contribute to forest conservation and forest expansion.

Read more about her: projects and publications

Read more about his: projects and publications

Read more about his: projects and publications

At Probos, Eli is involved in projects that focus on making the (tropical) wood chain more sustainable, forest expansion, climate-smart forests, and ecosystem services. He likes to look for integrated solutions with all parties involved, with the main goal of making a positive impact on the forest. As a nature fanatic and birdwatcher, Eli can regularly be found in forests and nature reserves from large to small, with his binoculars and camera at hand.

His favorite tree or forest? Moist forests, such as swamp forests in the dunes near Voorne and the alder forests near the St. Jansberg. Here, the mineral-rich groundwater and rich soils create a productive ecosystem where the diversity of plant and animal species can immediately be felt.

Eli has experience as a project manager of innovative projects and bringing together the 'triple helix', especially on themes related to circular economy and building chain cooperation. He also arranged several deliveries of energy systems to Ukraine. His work experience can be put to good use in realizing impactful projects at Probos, by bringing different perspectives together in projects. He has completed two MSc courses; Strategic Entrepreneurship (EUR) and Forest and Nature Conservation (WUR). During the latter, he acquired substantive knowledge about forests, including different forest types and forest ecosystems, forest biodiversity, species identification, and forest management.

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Andries studied Forest and Nature Conservation at Wageningen University (WUR). After his studies, he gained extensive experience as an auditor and consultant in the forest and timber sector, both nationally and internationally. His focus is on sustainable forest management, sustainable timber value chains, and strengthening forest ecosystem services such as CO2-storage. All with the aim of adding value to forests in order to conserve them sustainably. To this end, Andries likes to combine lessons learned from previous projects and other experiences into new and tailor-made solutions in an innovative and quality-oriented way.

HIs favorite tree or forest? Making a choice is impossible for Andries! There are so many beautiful trees and forests. From the lush rainforests of South America, to the impressive baobabs of the African savannah, to the diversity of the Dutch forests. But as someone being raised in the Veluwe area, the Dutch forests on the poor sandy soils have a special place in my heart.

Within Probos, Andries is mainly active in the area of 'Sustainable value chains and valuing forest ecosystem services', but his expertise extends further. If you have questions about certification, sustainable timber value chains and understanding the impacts of sustainable forest management, you can always contact him. Andries is a lover of wood and its many varieties. Not surprisingly, in his spare time he likes to work with his hands on one wood project or another.

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During her internship at Probos, in collaboration with the Ark Foundation, Gera conducted research into spontaneous forest development. Her efforts and collaboration resulted in a great assessment of her internship and we asked her if she wanted to continue working with us. She definitely liked that! At Probos, she is committed to the fields of ‘Climate-smart forestry’ and ‘More forests and trees’. Additionally, she works on calculating carbon sequestration in trees and forests as well as carbon certificates. Whatever the subject, she tackles it and is fully committed to it.

Her favorite tree or forest? “The weeping willow. Contrary to what the name suggests, I don’t think the tree is sad, but rather majestic with its size and hanging branches. For me, it conveys a certain serenity.”

Gera has also been passionate about football from an early age. There is no giving up and there is always room for improvement. She views every situation as a possibility to learn from and do better next time. This mentality is not only useful on the football field, but she also carries it into her work at Probos.

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Gryanne discovered Probos during her internship as part of her Bachelor's degree in Forest and Nature Conservation at Wageningen University (WUR). She dug her teeth into the forest expansion policy from 1986 to the early 21st century and studied the propagation of poplars and the biodiversity value of dead wood. It became clear then that Gryanne is an expert at processing large amounts of information. Moreover, it gives her satisfaction to turn it into an insightful story. During her Master's degree in Landscape History at the University of Groningen, she focused on the history of the Dutch landscapes. Once back in Wageningen, Gryanne knocked on Probos' door again. With her degree in hand, she was able to start working as an advisor in the fields of 'More trees and forests' and ‘Climate-smart forestry’.

Her favorite tree or forest? “Small-scale plantings on Groningen farms. Marked by poplars, ash and alder, the farmyards form small islands of green in the vast agricultural landscape. The trees provide a pleasant change in view and give the farmyards something safe and secure.”

Originating from Ten Boer in Groningen and with farmers as parents, Gryanne can relate to the mentality of the agricultural sector, which serves her well in the activities surrounding forest expansion in rural areas.

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As an adviser within Probos, Robin mainly works in the field of data provision. Making readable graphs from complicated data: that's what he likes. Especially when this data helps in discussions about forest management views.

His favorite tree or forest? “A pine forest on the sandy soils on a warm, dry summer day. As far as I'm concerned, an underrated forest type. A warm gust of wind with the smell of sand and pine in these woods takes me back to the holidays and summer camps of my youth.”

After an interesting bachelor's degree, Robin opted for something that better suited his interests: Dutch forests. While studying Forest and Nature Conservation at WUR, he noticed that this was the right decision and wrote his thesis at Wageningen Environmental Research (WEnR). To this end, he conducted a data analysis using data from the Dutch National Forest Inventory (Nationale Bosinventarisatie, NBI) to investigate issues about forest owners and timber harvesting. He completed his Master with an internship at Bosgroep Zuid-Nederland where he improved the height growth function of a forest growth model based on the National Forest Inventory data. Together with his interests in current affairs and developments surrounding Dutch forest management, this provided a good basis for his work at Probos.

With approximately 40 years of work experience under her belt and a diversity of positions, Sylvia has made her mark. But after psychiatry, the communications profession and her role as a manager in elderly care, she wanted to delve deeper into a completely new field of work. And so she chose the forest. Within Probos, Sylvia supports the advisers in the field of project management and communication. And of course she ensures that everything runs smoothly within the agency. Because planning, organising and communicating... that's just part of her.

Her favorite tree or forest? "The giant sequoias that she encountered on her travels through America. You feel so insignificant among these trees; only then do you realize how powerful and beautiful nature is.”

Sylvia likes to write. She usually does this for or on behalf of others. Except on her blog site; she publishes her own short story there every week. She is also active on various writing platforms and is developing professional storytelling skills. “By telling stories, people can inspire each other. It is with great pleasure that I bring the stories of Probos into the spotlight.”