Sven Günter gained more than 25 years of professional experience in tropical forestry with more than 10 years working experience in Bolivia, Ecuador and Costa Rica. Sven Günter holds a PhD in silviculture from the University of Göttingen (2001) and a professorship qualification in forestry from TU Munich with specialization in the restoration of utilization potentials of tropical montane forests. Bridging the science-policy gap is a cross-cutting theme for his career at different academic, non-governmental and governmental institutions. In his current position as head of the department “Forestry Worldwide” at the Thünen-Institute of International Forestry and Forest Economics in Hamburg, Germany, he is in charge for the development of science-based solutions for sustainable policies in the field of multipurpose forestry, ecosystem services and livelihoods in forest landscapes.