Immediately after completing his doctorate, the University of Minas Geris in Brazil hired Dr. Fonseca as a professor of ecology and zoology, where he organized and directed the country’s first graduate program in ecology and wildlife management. During this time, Dr. Fonseca first interacted with the organization he would spend 16 years with, Conservation International (CI). “They were interested in using young, local professors in their conservation projects,” Dr. Fonseca explained, “That’s how I got on board.” Dr. Fonseca says he has always had one foot in academia and one foot directly in conservation issues. By 1998, in addition to his teaching duties, he was running CI’s Brazil program.

Conservation International eventually offered Dr. Fonseca an opportunity to move to establish a new research center focusing on conservation science in Washington, D.C.  Dr. Fonseca accepted the offer and proceeded to create, from scratch, the Center for Applied Biodiversity Science (CABS), where he served as the Chief Conservation Officer and Executive Director. CABS (now named the Gordon and Betty Moore Center for Science and Oceans) is a research and development organization within CI, which helps network and mobilize scientists to coordinate large-scale, collaborative projects related to biodiversity conservation and the oceans’ plight. Dr. Fonseca oversaw all program operations and scientific activities within the organization’s Washington, DC office, its conservation funding division, and its field and marine programs in over 42 countries. “Essentially, I managed all of what is considered conservation operations at CI, and my role was complemented by that of a chief financial officer who oversees finance, administration, human resources, and other aspects of CI’s operations support activities,” Dr. Fonseca says. In 2003, CI Invited Dr. Fonseca to oversee the operational aspects of conservation projects in all the various countries CI is active in.

In 2007, Dr. Fonseca was recruited by the Global Environment Facility (GEF), the largest independent funding mechanism supporting the global commons, housed at the World Bank and serving 155 countries. His original responsibilities included overseeing the portfolio of investments in biodiversity, climate change mitigation and adaptation, forests and REDD+, and transboundary marine and freshwater conservation. Dr. Fonesca was recently promoted to Director of Programs of the GEF, adding to his portfolio the funding of climate change mitigation and adaptation projects, eliminating persistent organic pollutants, and reducing harmful mercury emissions.

Dr. Fonseca said there was a “combination of different things” that he considered career highlights. He was especially proud of his role in creating new organizations like CABS and establishing Brazil’s first graduate program in conservation science. Dr. Fonesca noted that as of 2017, there were 14 or more similar programs in Brazil. He also noted his work with several non-governmental organizations as highlights. “I’ve been able to use my opportunities well, so all the initiatives, institutions, and programs I’ve been involved with have been successful and are major accomplishments for me,” he said.

Dr. Fonseca acknowledged a few bumps in the road to his professional success. A particularly persistent obstacle was “proving himself” to his peers in graduate school. Dr. Fonseca says that he ran into persistent stereotypes about his skills as a person from a developing country and repeatedly had to prove himself to be as good as, or better than, his colleagues from the United States. “At some point, this becomes annoying, having to prove yourself above and beyond what your peers expect from you,” Dr. Fonseca says (2016).