David Lesmes

Senior Project Manager, Vital Reserve - Conservation International

David Lesmes is a conservation finance and sustainable development professional with 15 years of experience working at the intersection of nature, finance and investment across Latin America. He currently serves as Senior Project Manager at Conservation International, where he leads the development of sustainable finance mechanisms for the Vital Reserves initiative across Bolivia, Ecuador, Guyana and Peru, supporting the long-term conservation of nearly seven million hectares of the Amazon.

His work focuses on translating conservation priorities into scalable financing solutions and mobilizing public, philanthropic and private capital for nature. Throughout his career, David has worked with governments, multilateral institutions, donors, Indigenous organizations, NGOs and private-sector partners, combining financial structuring with on-the-ground conservation experience. David previously founded and led a climate finance and impact advisory firm. He holds an MBA from IMD in Switzerland and Master’s degrees in Finance and Economics from Universidad de los Andes in Colombia.