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School for Resource and Environmental Studies

Faculty of Science

Ricardo Bosshard


© WWF

SRES program:

Graduated from MES in 2003

Educational background:

Degree in Agro Engineering from Universidad
Austral de Chile

Work history:

Manager of Sustainable Business Solutions for
PricewaterhouseCooper

Current position:

Director of the Chilean division of the World
Wildlife Fund (WWF)

Q: Tell us a bit about your current job

A: I’m the director for the Chilean WWF office. I focus on three different areas: protecting the natural habitats of threatened and endangered species; working with companies to reduce their environmental impact; and finding ways to provide equal access to natural resources. This piece includes promoting responsible resource consumption.

We work with governments, universities and other NGOs, but also with companies. For example, if Coca Cola wants to become water-neutral, we help them find a solution to such a challenge. We know that companies are an important key to reducing the footprint on our planet.

Q: What part of your job are you the most passionate about?

A: I really enjoy the relationship between companies and the environment. I like trying to find solutions to their big question, which is “how do companies prove that they don’t destroy biodiversity?” It’s a very difficult question because, for example, watersheds are used by groups of companies, communities and farms, not just one player, so the solution has to come from projects where all parties work together.

Q: What has SRES meant to your career?

A: SRES redirected my career towards the environment. At another university, it would have been much harder to work with an MBA professor on a thesis in environmental accounting. Since I wanted to bring two worlds together—companies and the environment—SRES was the perfect solution.

I looked all around the world, and SRES was the only program that provided me with what I wanted. And I wouldn’t have gotten what I needed from attending either just a business school or just an environmental school.

Q: What did you enjoy about the SRES and the Halifax communities?

A: Probably the friendships. I’ve made great friends with both staff and colleagues. Also, Halifax was a great environment to study in. I love the city and the fact that I can walk everywhere. It’s small, but it has everything that a big city has.