“I have spent 25 years in business and now 26 years in hands-on conservation work. I know what it takes to build a team of people who have, at their core, the character and willingness to do things that are often thought to be impossible – Astrid is one of those people. I have witnessed Astrid’s ability to empathize, support and inspire - even in the most difficult of times - both personally and professionally. As our Conservation Director in Europe, Astrid inspired a large number of philanthropists, journalists and others to take an interest and join us in our work. Her ability to see the big picture and turn it into an inspiring vision encouraged us to bring all our activities together under the single umbrella of Tompkins Conservation (TC).  We are, more than anything else, results driven. The TC team is in a hurry to change the end of the story of the protection of nature and creating dignified lives for human communities. Astrid, along with us, is in a hurry."