Hando Hain
As Senior Advisor on Strategy and Development, Hando is responsible for coordination of the innovation and service development processes in Preferred by Nature. Through supporting the development of Preferred by Nature's service programmes, he is helping to ensure that our service portfolio meets tomorrow’s needs to foster sustainable business practices.
Hando supports the service and programme developments in Preferred by Nature and plays a key role in shaping our future service portfolio. His role as Senior Advisor on Strategy and Development entails development of systems and tools related to innovation and service development to foster innovative and systematic approach to expanding our mission impact for the benefit of people, nature and climate.
With over 20 years of practical experience in certification, Hando is a seasoned auditor, with field experience from hundreds of audits, including forest management, supply chains (forestry as well as agriculture), conservation and sustainable tourism. He has been lead trainer on auditor training courses, developed certification and assurance systems and been participant in numerous sustainability certification related technical working groups.
He has been responsible for acquiring accreditations and leading or involved in the development of most Preferred by Nature certification programmes and standards, including the Preferred by Nature Certification programme.
Hando has an academic background within natural geography, landscape ecology and social geography.
Hando joined Preferred by Nature in 2002.
"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."
- 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: Estonian and English