Michelle Desilets is the Founder and Executive Director of Orangutan Land Trust and has been working in orangutan conservation for 27 years. Michelle previously founded and directed the Borneo Orangutan Survival Foundation UK.

The mission of the Orangutan Land Trust is to provide sustainable solutions for the long-term survival of the orangutan in the wild, by ensuring safe areas of forest for its continued survival. The focus is on protecting critical areas of orangutan habitat. Because the conversion of habitat for oil-palm plantations represents the greatest threat to the survival of the orangutan, Michelle feels the single most effective way to save the orangutan is through working to ensure that palm oil is produced sustainably. She has served on numerous committees for the RSPO including Biodiversity and HCV Working Group, No Deforestation Taskforce, Market and Outreach Working Group, New Plantings Procedures Working Group, Taskforce for Review of the P & C of the RSPO 2013 and 2018, Complaints Panel and Dispute Settlement Facility Advisory Board. She also represents Orangutan Land Trust as a member of the Palm Oil Innovation Group. Most recently, she has created the PONGO (Palm Oil and NGO) Alliance, a coalition of some of the biggest palm oil growers, environmental NGOs and scientific experts with the vision of “Making resilient landscapes for wildlife and people a reality.”

The Orangutan Land Trust also supports in-situ conservation activities protecting forests and orangutans throughout Borneo and Sumatra.