Hando is a member of Preferred by Nature’s executive management group. He oversees the development and maintenance of Preferred by Nature's service programmes, ensuring that our service portfolio meets tomorrow’s needs for sustainability services.
The true challenge in sustainability certification is to develop systems that are easy to apply yet robust, creating positive change without bureaucracy. This takes a lot of work but is worthwhile due to the huge rewards for the environment, society and business
Hando supports the strategic development of Preferred by Nature and plays a key role in shaping our strategies and policies as well as overseeing key functions such as acquisition and maintenance of accreditation, certification system development, coordination of innovation projects and training activities.
Hando's role as Programmes Director entails coordination of the development of tools and approaches to enhance certification systems and related sourcing and market aspects.
With 15 years of practical field auditing experience, Hando is a seasoned auditor, with field experience from hundreds of audits, including forest management, supply chains (forestry as well as agriculture), FSC Controlled Wood and sustainable tourism. Hando’s field auditing experience spans over all continents. He has also provided numerous analytical inputs and is often involved as a technical trainer on these topics at external and internal events, often in an international context.
He has an academic background within natural geography, landscape ecology and social geography.
Hando joined Preferred by Nature in 2002.
- Certification standard development and system engagement
- Forest management and chain of custody auditing, standard field testing
- Sustainable tourism auditing, standard development
- Training course development, execution and facilitation
- Human resource management
- FSC, PEFC, RSPO, Rainforest Alliance Sustainable Agriculture certification systems
- Service development
- Accreditation and assurance systems
- Management of business and service delivery
- Research on impacts of sustainability certification
- PhD in Human and Social Geography, MSc in Landscape Ecology and Environmental Protection
- Countries worked in: Australia, Belgium, Brazil, Bulgaria, Canada, China, Costa Rica, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Ghana, Honduras, Indonesia, Kenya, Latvia, Lithuania, Malaysia, Maldives, Mexico, Nepal, Netherlands, Nicaragua, Panama, Peru, Poland, Romania, Russian Federation, Slovakia, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, United Kingdom, United States, Vietnam
- Languages spoken: Estonian and English
