Sustainability Expert
Sarene has over 25 years of professional experience spanning the private and NGO sectors, with deep knowledge of sustainability and climate change issues, and expertise in business strategy, fundraising, communications, and team management. Most recently, she served as head of the Urban Land Institute’s Center for Sustainability. In this capacity, she oversaw ULI’s activities in the areas of climate change, energy, sustainability, and resilience, including the Greenprint Center for Building Performance and the Urban Resilience Program. Through these programs and others, the Sustainability Center provided leadership and support to ULI’s ~40,000 members – land use professionals across North America, Europe and Asia – to invest in building energy performance and increase portfolio resilience while reducing risks due to climate change.
Marshall came to ULI from The Nature Conservancy (TNC), where she spearheaded the organization’s efforts to reduce its environmental footprint by addressing carbon, waste, water, and recycling. She also worked with the Conservancy’s Latin America region to develop new initiatives on food security, water security, and smart infrastructure. During her time at TNC, Marshall served as managing director for the global Climate Change program, which focused on reducing climate risks through land use strategies and natural systems conservation, and climate mitigation policies in the US and internationally. Previously, she led change management, globalization and strategic planning projects for TNC’s executive team and regional managers.
Prior to her twelve years at The Nature Conservancy, she held positions with Mercer Management Consulting (now Oliver Wyman), a subsidiary of Marsh & McLennan Companies, and the World Wildlife Fund. Marshall holds a Master of Business Administration and Master of Arts in International Studies from the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School/Lauder Institute. She is a fluent Spanish speaker who earned a Bachelor of Arts in International Studies from George Washington University and has lived in cities in the U.S., UK, Spain, Colombia, Mexico, and Peru.
