Marianne was born and raised in the Philippines where she developed an early interest in the environment on her frequent family trips to the beach and surrounding rivers and waterfalls. 

She holds a BSc in Ecology, Systematics, and Philosophy from the Ateneo de Manila University and an MSc in Conservation Project Management from the University of Kent in Canterbury. Marianne grew her expertise and background in project management, environmental policy, social and behaviour change, and research through her experiences with the Department of Environment and Natural Resources in the Philippines, the Asian Development Bank, and most recently TRAFFIC, a non-profit in Cambridge, UK working to ensure that the trade in wild plants and animals is legal and sustainable. 

Marianne enjoys being outdoors on long walks or camping, but will also happily spend the day at home cooking, putting on the karaoke, or curling up with a good book.