Ms Satkuru was appointed as ITTO’s first female Executive Director at the 57th session of the International Tropical Timber Council in December 2021.

Ms Satkuru has nearly 30 years of experience in tropical forest policy and the wood products industry. She is a specialist in international trade regulations, with strong skills and experience in international negotiations, legal and policy analysis, communications and public affairs. She has served as a technical expert, adviser and board member in several capacities. She holds a Master in Corporate and Commercial Law degree from King’s College, the University of London and was called to the English Bar in 1993.

A citizen of Malaysia, Ms Satkuru was ITTO Director of Operations between October 2017 and January 2022 and was based in Europe for Malaysia prior to joining the ITTO. Throughout her career, she has focused very much on sustainable tropical forestry, linking the private sector and communities, international policies and legal and sustainable international trade in forest products/industries.