Yoko is a Senior Biodiversity Specialist at the Natural Resources Team of the GEF Secretariat.

Yoko has over 15 years of professional experiences working on biodiversity and natural resources management at both field and headquarter levels. Prior to joining the GEF, she worked at the WWF (World Wildlife Fund for Nature) at Mongolia and United States Offices. At WWF-US, she was a Senior Advisor for the Multilateral and Bilateral Agency Relations, including policy and project coordination with the GEF. At the WWF Mongolia Office, she was a Head of Conservation Programme responsible for all conservation projects and programs in Mongolia. Prior to that, Yoko worked at the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) at both Nepal and Mongolia country offices as an Environmental Programme Officer, managing GEF-funded and other biodiversity projects at the field level. She also worked at the Japan International Corporation (JICA) and a few environment NGOs in Japan and US.

Yoko is a Japanese citizen and holds a master's degree in international development with a major in Environment and Natural Resources Management from the American University in Washington DC. She also received her bachelor's degree in international politics from the Aoyama Gakuin University in Tokyo, where she focused her studies on development economics and environmental management.