Matteo Cantoro

Managing Director Seed Fund - Conservation International

Matteo Cantoro was born and raised in Italy, where he initially specialized in Japanese language and philosophy, and Oriental history. He then went on to earn a masters in the sociology of development at the Sorbonne University in Paris and completed his thesis in Senegal, which marked the beginning of a long career in Africa, spanning 6 countries in West and Central Africa, where he successively worked for international NGOs, a UN agency and bilateral cooperation agencies. He specialized in poverty alleviation, humanitarian aid and natural resource management, which eventually led him to a second masters degree in Environmental Management, earned at the London SOAS University in 2014.

Over the years, Matteo has developed a profound expertise and passion for natural resource management, conservation of nature and rural development ; water and sanitation, energy, health, education, economic growth, local governance, and institutional support. In 2025, he was appointed Managing Director of the Seed Fund, which supports countries in turning climate and nature commitments into coordinated action by providing catalytic funding, technical support and strategic partnerships for Country Packages as part of the Forest & Climate Leaders’ Partnership (FCLP).

Matteo now lives in France with his wife with whom he has two children, and when he’s not working, he enjoys cooking, music and sharing his love of nature with his family.