Welcoming new global leadership at BIOFIN: Mariana Bellot and Martin Cadena

As the UNDP Biodiversity Finance Initiative (BIOFIN) enters a new phase of global expansion, we are pleased to welcome two new appointments to our leadership team:

Mariana Bellot as Global Programme Manager of the GEF-funded Global Biodiversity Finance Programme and Martin Cadena as Global Manager at BIOFIN.

These appointments come at an exciting time for BIOFIN. Since 2018, the Initiative has helped catalyse over US$1.6 billion in biodiversity finance across 41 countries. With the launch of the Global Biodiversity Finance Programme with the support of the Global Environment Facility, BIOFIN has now expanded its support to over 130 countries. This significant growth underscores the urgent global demand for biodiversity finance solutions — and the need for strengthened coordination and technical guidance across both implementing countries and the newly added cohort who are developing their Biodiversity Finance Plans.

Mariana Bellot’s journey through the world of biodiversity finance is as rich and dynamic as the ecosystems she works to protect.

In past years, Ms. Bellot has served as Senior Technical Advisor for the BIOFIN global team, having started with the Initiative as National Coordinator in her native Mexico — one of the leading countries in innovation and finance results. She brings deep technical expertise in biodiversity conservation, environmental finance, ecosystem-based adaptation, and global environmental policy and negotiations.

“The expansion of BIOFIN to 91 new countries with support from the GEF represents one of the most ambitious efforts to transform biodiversity finance globally,” said Ms Bellot. “We are seeing unprecedented demand from governments for practical, data-driven tools to align national budgets and financial systems with nature. Our priority now is to support countries to rapidly develop their Biodiversity Finance Plans and move towards finance solutions that can shift the trajectory for ecosystems and economies alike.”

“It’s an honour to step into this role at such a pivotal moment for biodiversity finance,” said Martin Cadena. Trained as an ecologist, Mr. Cadena has over 15 years of experience in biodiversity conservation, environmental policy, and project management.

 “Given the momentum within BIOFIN and the global imperative emerging out of the biodiversity COP16 earlier this year, we have a unique opportunity to transform how nature is valued and financed at every level. I am thrilled to join the BIOFIN community in our collective effort to accelerate the implementation of finance solutions that deliver real, measurable impact for people and the planet,” he added.  

This new leadership will be anchored within the Global Nature Finance pillar of UNDP’s Nature Hub, under the guidance of Onno van den Heuvel.

Mr. van den Heuvel has led BIOFIN for more than a decade, overseeing the design and implementation of biodiversity finance plans across dozens of countries. Now serving as UNDP’s Global Nature Finance Lead, he continues his impactful work, driving innovation and coordination across UNDP’s expanding biodiversity finance portfolio, including the Taskforce on Nature-related Financial Disclosures (TNFD), the Nature Investment Facility, and the Biodiversity Credits Alliance.

“It has been a privilege to lead BIOFIN through more than a decade of innovation and global impact,” said Onno van den Heuvel, Global Nature Finance lead at UNDP, whose stewardship of BIOFIN over the past decade has been instrumental in the programme’s success.  

“As BIOFIN enters a new phase in which we scale our support to partner countries, I couldn’t be more confident in the leadership team that will take this work forward. With Mariana and Martin at the helm and a deeply committed group of technical and programme experts already in place, BIOFIN is in excellent hands to meet the growing demand from countries and deliver even greater results for nature and people,” said Mr. van den Heuvel. 

Watch our video-podcast episode Biodiversity finance and the BIOFIN journey

See detailed profiles of the new managers below: 

Mariana Bellot – Global Programme Manager, GBFP

Mariana Bellot steps into her new global leadership role with over 20 years of experience in biodiversity policy and finance. Her work has spanned national and international institutions, including several positions in the Mexican government and later in UNDP.

Mariana holds a Master’s Degree in Environmental Policy and Development Studies from the University of Sussex. Her leadership will play a key role in shaping the next generation of finance solutions, supporting country teams to develop and implement Biodiversity Finance Plans that align with the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework.

As BIOFIN continues to grow, the combined leadership of Martin and Mariana will be instrumental in guiding a global community of practice, sharing knowledge, building capacity, and scaling finance solutions that work for people and nature.

Martin Cadena – Global Manager, BIOFIN

Martin Cadena has over 15 years of experience in biodiversity conservation, environmental policy, and project management. Martin has worked at the intersection of nature and policy across government institutions, civil society, international organizations, and local communities.

Martin began his journey with UNDP in 2011 as a national consultant and project manager supporting integrated climate-nature strategies in Mexico’s protected areas. He later joined UNDP’s Global Policy Network, where he provided policy and capacity-building support to over 30 countries, particularly on their commitments under the Convention on Biological Diversity. He also served as a community manager for global environmental networks, promoting knowledge-sharing and collaboration across regions.

In addition to his UNDP roles, Martin has contributed to the development of biodiversity monitoring systems, led environmental education programmes, and facilitated inclusive national dialogues that informed nature-related strategies — some of which were inspired by the BIOFIN methodology.

Martin holds an M.Sc. in Ecology from the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM) and a B.Sc. in Biology from the Universidad de las Américas-Puebla. He is a certified knowledge manager and a Lead Fellow in Leadership for Sustainable Development. Outside of work, he is an avid photographer who enjoys exploring National Parks and historic sites.