Two major deals drive TNC’s 7% senior workforce growth

From the newsletter

The Nature Conservancy expanded senior African staff by 7% in the past year, a total of 42 new hires, according to LinkedIn data. This growth, which has increased the total number of senior staff to 334, is likely due to the organisation’s increasing engagement in large-scale conservation finance across the continent.

• In November 2025, TNC supported the launch of Gabon’s $180 million Project Finance for Permanence deal, a long-term conservation financing plan that runs for decades.

• The organisation is also leading the revival of the debt-for-nature swaps funding model, with three undisclosed countries in talks to secure up to $500 million in financing. These deals could be a cause for the organisation’s steady hiring.

More details

• In November 2025, the Nature Conservancy (TNC) helped Gabon launch the Gabon Infini Project Finance for Permanence (PFP) initiative, a decade-long plan to protect 34,000 km² of Congo Basin rainforest while promoting a nature-based economy. The initiative is funded with $94 million from international donors, including the Global Environment Facility and Bezos Earth Fund, alongside $86 million in government investments.

• TNC led deal structuring, coordination, and oversight, ensuring funds are released only when legally binding conservation milestones are met. The PFP will expand protected rainforest coverage from 15% to 30% and establish community enterprise funds. As Africa’s first large-scale PFP after Kenya, it sets a benchmark for long-term, performance-based conservation finance on the continent.

• TNC is currently advancing debt-for-nature swaps in Africa, after securing a similar deal for Gabon in 2023. That landmark transaction restructured $450 million of commercial debt, committing at least $125 million to marine conservation. Building on Gabon’s success, TNC is now negotiating swaps with three additional countries, with a potential $500 million pipeline. 

• Beyond projects, TNC’s employees hold advanced qualifications, including 43% with master’s degrees and 13% PhDs. Roles are primarily in community and social services (17%) and operations (12%). Hiring is spread across smaller country offices, with notable growth in Malawi, Rwanda and Morocco, reflecting a decentralised staffing pattern.

Our take

• As TNC pursues a $500 million pipeline of debt-for-nature swaps, workforce expansion is likely to continue.

• Long-term conservation finance deals require legal and operational expertise, likely resulting in the surge in highly qualified hires across the continent.