Torsten Thiele, MPA (Harvard), MPhil (Cantab), FLS is a thought-leader in ocean conservation, focusing on governance and sustainable finance approaches to promote blue solutions to planetary challenges. He founded the not-for-profit Global Ocean Trust in 2014 and has since been advising international alliances, governments and the private sector on key ocean issues such as how to deliver large-scale marine protection, counter marine pollution and address ocean-climate opportunities using innovative finance mechanisms. Following a career in finance in the City of London which included inter alia time at JPMorgan, the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development and Investec plc where he led the global telecoms project finance effort Torsten Thiele returned to academia to research ocean issues. Roles at Harvard, Oxford, the London School of Economics and the Potsdam Sustainability Institute led to a wide range of publications, conference speeches and other work, including advice on blue bonds and impact funding.
Over the last decade Torsten Thiele provided expertise, support and advisory/ board roles for major alliances, including the Coalition for Private Investment into Conservation, the Deep Ocean Stewardship Initiative, the Deep Sea Conservation Coalition, the High Seas Alliance, the International Partnership for Blue Carbon, Nekton Foundation, the Ocean Panel and the Ocean-Climate Platform. This work linked to the Paris Agreement, the UN High Seas Treaty negotiations and issues such as ocean plastics, blue economy principles and blue natural capital finance. Torsten Thiele is an Affiliate Scholar at the Research Institute for Sustainability – Helmholtz Centre Potsdam, Honorary Fellow of Plymouth Marine Laboratory, a Strategic Advisor to the Ocean Team of the International Union for Conservation of Nature and Senior Advisor, Blue Finance, to the Ocean Risk and Resilience Action Alliance. He holds graduate degrees in economics, law, public administration and in conservation leadership from the universities of Cambridge, Bonn and Harvard.