The Klosters Forum in conversation with Douglas Woodring.

Hannah MacInnes joins Douglas Woodring, Founder and Managing Director of Ocean Recovery Alliance, at The Klosters Forum 2019 to discuss the issue of plastic pollution and to hear his personal insights on this complex topic.

Doug Woodring is the Founder of Ocean Recovery Alliance, a non-profit organization which is focused on bringing together innovative solutions, technology, collaborations and policy to create positive improvements for the health of the ocean.  Two of its global programs were launched at the Clinton Global Initiative in 2010. He was awarded the 2018 Prince’s Prize for Innovative Philanthropy from Prince Albert of Monaco. He is a United Nations Environment (UNEP) Climate Hero, and Google Earth Hero for his efforts, and has been on the advisory board of the XPrize, and The Economist’s World Oceans Summit.  In 2011, he co-authored the UNEP Yearbook chapter on the danger of plastic in the ocean.  He is also the founder of the Plasticity Forum which focuses on plastic innovation, design, materials recycling and solutions, without the waste footprint, and is on the Advisory Committee of Wharton’s Institute for Global Environmental Leadership.  

Doug has worked in Asia for over 25 years, including four years in the asset management industry, where at Merrill Lynch Asset Management Hong Kong in 1998, he proposed the company’s first global environmental technology fund.  He has been nominated three times as World Open Water Swimmer of the Year for his innovative contributions to the sport, was recently named as one of the top 50 “watermen” in the world and has been honored to be in the Int’l Marathon Swimming Hall of Fame. 

Born in Northern California, Doug has a dual master’s degree from The Wharton School (MBA) and Johns Hopkins University, School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS) in Environmental Economics. He has a BA from the University of California.