Metolo is an environmental and social safeguards specialist committed to protecting ecosystems and communities in tropical conservation and development contexts. In her current role at The Nature Conservancy, she co-leads human rights due diligence across its global operations, identifying salient risks and embedding safeguards that uphold the rights of millions of Indigenous and local community members. She also co-developed TNC’s “Relationship First” policy, institutionalizing IPLC engagement in project preparation and ensuring compliance with global and local safeguard standards while restoring trust in conservation initiatives.

She holds a PhD in Geography (University of Florida, USA), a Master’s in Conflict, Peace and Security (K.A.I.P.T.C, Ghana) and a Bachelor’s in Politics and International Relations (Lancaster University, UK).

A UNESCO-trained World Heritage Expert, Metolo is recognized for bridging cultural perspectives with scientific insights to craft inclusive solutions that deliver lasting value for both people and the planet, transforming nature into a source of competitive advantage.

Prior to joining the Forum as the Founding Curator of the Gainesville Hub (Florida), she worked with the UN, the Government of Ghana and the African Wildlife Foundation on strengthening e-governance platforms to support sustainable development initiatives. Skilled in macro-economic and risk analysis, knowledge translation and policy formulation, she has reinforced over US$500 million in World Bank projects in West Africa and the Sahel, across the lifecycle spanning preparation, implementation, and monitoring and evaluation, advising governments and public agencies on climate-resilient agropastoral systems, sustainable value chains, protected area management and natural resource governance.

Her track record includes advancing planetary health goals by linking local realities to systemic change, strengthening food security and the bioeconomy in the Congo Basin, facilitating market access, enhancing resilience in fragile contexts, and leveraging cross-cultural fluency, digital transformation and storytelling to deliver scalable, measurable, and community-centered climate-smart outcomes for poverty alleviation and livelihood enhancement in marginalized regions.