Arnoud de Villegas brings over 20 years of diverse experience in environmental stewardship, finance, and strategic development. As Managing Director of Viridian Ecosystems, he advises clients on developing natural capital strategies that deliver risk-adjusted returns while achieving the greatest possible ecosystem and social impact. Over the past decade, Arnoud has been devoted to scaling reforestation and nature-based solutions across the American West, catalyzing noteworthy and award-winning environmental and social initiatives. In his role as Vice President of Business Development at Mast Reforestation, he spearheaded carbon product originations, forged strategic partnerships, and led growth-oriented initiatives that established the company's influence in reforestation and natural capital markets. Prior to joining Mast Reforestation, Arnoud served as Chief Operating Officer of CalForest, the largest independent reforestation stock producer in the western United States. Under his leadership, CalForest gained significant market share and produced over 130 million seedlings for state and federal agencies, industrial and non-industrial landowners, tribal nations, and non-profit organizations, meaningfully contributing to large-scale reforestation efforts across the American West. Earlier in his career, Arnoud built a strong foundation in global finance and strategic management. He began working for a $250 million fund of hedge funds in London and New York, ultimately heading all equity strategies covered out of the U.S, including Emerging Markets. He went on to live six years in India where co-lead the first successful SPAC reverse merger in Indian capital market history, with $100 million of cash in trust and another $75 million raised post-close. Before pivoting to reforestation, he served as Director of Global Emerging Markets (gem), a $1.5 billion venture capital and private equity group, reporting to its chairman. They made investments in hospitality real estate globally, as well as education content development and publishing services in the US and India. Arnoud serves as a Board Advisor to the University of Montana’s FARTHER Engine. Its mission is to build an economic engine for rural, tribal, and urban communities across Montana and Idaho. Through partnerships, research translation, and workforce development FARTHER advances nature-based innovations and precision technologies in forests and rangelands to promote resiliency and prosperity.