Executive Moves

Terraformation creates new role for former American Forests CEO

Jad Daley will be tasked with unlocking new partnerships and sources of funding. Read More

By Jim Giles November 20, 2025

Jad Daley previously oversaw work on tree equity and ecosystem restoration at American Forests. Source: Terraformation.

Key Takeaways:

Terraformation connects companies with high-quality forestry projects.
Daley brings more than two decades of non-profit experience to the company.
Current Terraformation projects include reforestation work in Ghana, the Congo Basin and Colombia.

Former American Forests President and CEO Jad Daley has been named president of Terraformation, a startup that connect companies with forestry projects. The role is a new position designed to strengthen partnerships and unlock the capital for the company, which was founded in 2019 by Yishan Wong, previously Reddit CEO.

Terraformation pitches itself as an extension of company sustainability teams that can identify, design and grow forestry projects to deliver high-quality carbon credits. Current projects include mangrove restoration in Ghana, restoration of degraded forest in the Congo Basin and the rehabilitation of ecosystems in Colombia to restore wildlife habitats and connect migration routes.

Time 100 list

At American Forests, Daley oversaw work on urban tree equity and large-scale ecosystem restoration that was backed by corporate partners including Bank of America, the Coca-Cola Foundation and Salesforce. He also served as vice president for conservation programs at The Trust for Public Land, where he focused on climate resilience and community-driven conservation efforts. Last year, he was one of 100 leaders named on the Time 100 Climate list.

Daley’s new role, announced this week at the climate negotiations in Belém, Brazil, will see him work with Wong and team to expand global partnerships and advance blended finance models. Daley will also be tasked with leveraging his non-profit leadership experience to raise funds from philanthropic, public and private-sector institutions.

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Jim Giles

Jim Giles is Vice President, Editor-at-Large at Trellis Group. His writing has appeared in the New York Times, Atlantic, Economist, Guardian, Nature and other publications. He was the co-founder of Matter, an award-winning investigative publication that was acquired by Medium in 2013. In 2017, he was a graduate of the Sulzberger Executive Leadership Program at Columbia University. He's also worked as a strategic consultant for several high-impact organizations, including the European Climate Foundation and the Wellcome Trust.