Management Committee

HUGO CAMPOS

Title: Deputy Director General, Science and Innovation

Citizenship: Chile

Location: Lima, Peru

Profile Summary: Hugo Campos is Interim Deputy Director General for Research and Development at the International Potato Center. He has 25+ years of international experience working in several Latin-American countries, Sub Saharan Africa, US and UK. Most of his professional career has focused on molecular breeding – the intersection between plant breeding and biotechnology – with an explicit goal of delivering superior varieties and increase the efficacy and efficiency of plant breeding programs, and in developing commercially relevant drought tolerant varieties. He is experienced in diverse crop species such as sugarcane, maize, soybeans, canola, potato, sweetpotato and wheat. He is an advanced practitioner of topics such as innovation and entrepreneurship from a private standpoint. In addition to playing a direct role leading plant breeding international teams, Hugo has written/edited four books to date, which overall have been sold/downloaded in excess of 300,000 times, and is in the process of publishing his fifth book. He is a Chilean national and holds a PhD from the John Innes Centre, UK, an MBA from Universidad del Desarrollo, Chile, and a Professional Certificate in Innovation & Entrepreneurship from Standord University (USA).

Languages: Spanish, English

JAN KREUZE

Title: Head of Regenerative Agriculture

Citizenship: Sweden

Location: Lima, Peru

Profile Summary: Jan Kreuze, an Swedish national, has been leading the crop protection team, and particularly the virology area, where he develops most of his work. Since joining the International Potato Center in 2003, he has led different projects and activities globally to ensure the delivery of donor commitments and continuity of funding stream.

Languages: Spanish, English, Swedish

JOYCE MARU

Region: Africa

Title: Regional Director for Africa

Citizenship: Kenyan

Location: Nairobi

Profile Summary: Joyce provides leadership across Africa, Asia and Latin America, to expand the current portfolio through new initiatives engaging CIP scientists in all related disciplines, linkages with related CGIAR research programs, and key research and development partners globally.

Prior to her appointment, Joyce has served as a Senior Program Coordinator since 2018 at CIP leading design and implementation of CIP’s projects such as the FCDO funded Development and Delivery of Biofortified Crops at Scale (DDBIO), Technologies for African Agriculture Transformation (TAAT) and USAID Accelerated Delivery Initiative (ADI-I). She also works as a Work Package Lead for the CGIAR initiative on National Policies and Strategies (NPS) and is also contributing to the Resilient Cities Initiative and the Regional Integrated Initiative for Eastern and Southern Africa (Ukama Ustawi). Previously, she worked as a Capacity Development and Communication Specialist with CIP’s Building Nutritious Food Baskets (BNFB) project (2016-2018). Prior to joining CIP, Joyce worked at ILRI as a Capacity Development Specialist and as a Learning and Development Advisor at the National Health Service in the United Kingdom.

Joyce holds a PhD in Doctor of Business Administration (Leadership and Organizational Change), with a research interest in team leadership for collaborative partnerships in research. She also holds a Masters in business administration from Teesside University (UK), She also holds Qualified Teacher Status (QTS) and a Post Graduate Certificate in Education (PGCE) from Huddersfield University (UK), a Bachelors degree in education, alongside other professional training in Leadership and Management, Facilitation and Presentation skills among others.

MAARTEN VAN ZONNEVELD

Title: Head of Biodiversity

Citizenship: The Netherlands

Location: Lima, Peru

Profile Summary: As Head of Biodiversity and leader of CIP’s Genebank, Maarten van Zonneveld is responsible for the acquisition, conservation, characterization, and distribution of one of the world’s largest in vitro collections of potato, sweetpotato, and Andean Root and Tuber Crops (ARTC), for the benefit of humanity. He provides strategic and scientific direction to ensure that the genebank operates according to world-class standards and aligns with CIP and CGIAR’s mission, as well as the International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture. He also works closely with global partners to strengthen conservation systems, advance research, and promote knowledge sharing and capacity building in biodiversity science.

A Dutch national, Maarten joined CIP in 2026, bringing over 20 years of international experience in genebank management and biodiversity science across Latin America, Africa, Asia, and the Pacific. Prior to joining CIP, he served as Head of Genetic Resources/Genebank Manager at the World Vegetable Center, where he led two international genebanks and strengthened global partnerships for the conservation and use of vegetable biodiversity. Earlier in his career, he held scientific roles at Bioversity International in Costa Rica and Colombia, contributing to biodiversity conservation, climate-resilient agriculture, and regional genetic resources initiatives. Maarten holds a PhD in Applied Biological Sciences from Ghent University, Belgium, and an MSc in Forest and Nature Conservation from Wageningen University & Research in the Netherlands and has authored more than 100 scientific publications.

Languages: Dutch (mother language), English, Spanish

MUKANI MOYO

Title: Head of Urban Food Systems

Citizenship: Zimbabwe

Location: Nairobi, Kenya

Profile Summary: Dr. Mukani Moyo is a seasoned food scientist with extensive expertise in food chemistry, food quality and safety, food processing, packaging, storage, and sensory science. A national of Zimbabwe, Dr. Moyo has contributed significantly to food science and innovation across the private sector, academia, and government research institutions.

Dr. Moyo was appointed as Head of Urban Food Systems in December 2024. In this role, she oversees the development and implementation of a cutting-edge research program aligned with the Urban Food Systems Science Goal of the CIP2030 Strategy.

Prior to this appointment, she distinguished herself as a leader in the field of food science, advancing research and building impactful partnerships. She holds a PhD and a Master’s degree from Stellenbosch University, South Africa, and a Bachelor’s degree in Biological Sciences from Midlands State University, Zimbabwe.

Language: English

RIA BALBOS JORDAN

Title: Head, People & Culture

Citizenship: Trinidad & Tobago

Location: Lima, Peru

Profile Summary:  Ria Balbos Jordan has more than 25 years of experience in Human Resources Management in international organizations, Ria has led and supported various initiatives in areas such as leadership development, talent optimization, process improvement, and change management.  Prior to this appointment, Ria served as Deputy Director, HR at the Caribbean Development Bank and Diversity Equity and Inclusion Advisor at the Inter-American Development Bank.   Ria holds an International Master’s in Business Administration, an is also a certified DEI Professional, a Global Professional in Human Resources (GPHR), a SHRM Senior Certified Professional (SHRM-SCP), and a Coaching for Engagement and Performance (CEP) practitioner.

Languages: English (native), Spanish, French

SIMON HECK

Title: Director General

Citizenship: Germany

Location: Lima, Peru

Profile Summary: Simon Heck is Senior Director, CGIAR, and was appointed Director General of the International Potato Institute (CIP) in February 2023.

Prior to this appointment, he led CIP’s research and development projects portfolio designed to intensify, diversify and strengthen the resilience of agri-food systems with sweetpotato-related technologies. He is responsible for setting priorities that respond to changing country, regional and global demands and that contribute to CI) and CGIAR long-term strategic objectives and goals.

He joined CIP in 2012 as Deputy Program Manager for Sweetpotato in Africa where he led the regional Scaling-Up Sweetpotato through Agriculture and Nutrition (SUSTAIN) project in 2013 and the Sweetpotato Program in 2014. He previously worked with the WorldFish Center, the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) and the UK’s Department for International Development (DFID).

An anthropologist by training, Simon has extensive experience leading research and development projects in agriculture, aquatic resources and environmental management. He has been chair of the Agro-Enterprise Learning Alliance for Eastern and Southern Africa and has contributed to policy and strategy development in several regional and national institutions in Africa. His disciplinary expertise is in social science and he has contributed to CGIAR research on resilience of social and ecological systems, food security, social development indicators, land tenure, and innovation systems. He has a PhD in Social Anthropology from Boston University.

Languages: English, French, German

TANIA ZUNIGA 

Title: Director of Operations and Finance

Citizenship: Peru

Location: Lima, Peru

Profile Summary: Tania has more than 15 years of progressive hands-on experience in finance, strategy, and operations management within purpose-driven global organizations. Specializes in scaling organizations, by building breakthroughs together, designing, and implementing initiatives that drive organizations towards their aspiration. A strong believer in promoting a culture of innovation to create value for our customers and competitive differentiation, by rethinking how organizations can create a positive impact on our society.

Languages: English, Spanish

VIVIAN POLAR

Title: Regional Director for Latin America

Citizenship: Peru

Location: Lima, Peru

Profile Summary: Vivian Polar brings years of experience working directly with farmers and indigenous groups in rural communities, in agricultural technology innovation, adaptation to climate change, and food security. She has skills in project design, monitoring and evaluation and gender analysis in developing countries. Polar previously worked as a technical manager of PROINPA Foundation for the Altiplano Regional Office and also as a consultant for several well-known institutions such as the International Potato Center, Swiss Contact, World Bank, Samaritan’s Purse, and Bioversity International. She holds a PhD. in Finance and Management from the School of Oriental and African Studies – University of London, UK.

Languages: English, Spanish