Eeva Primmer

Eeva Primmer is the Executive Director of SEI, directing, organizing and delegating the work of the Institute through its headquarters in Stockholm and seven centres around the world. She was appointed by the SEI Board in 2026.

Primmer previously served as Research Director of the the Finnish Environment Institute (Syke). Alongside her institutional leadership, Primmer plays an active role in international science–policy processes. She is a Bureau Member of the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES) and a Panel Member of the UNEP International Resource Panel (IRP). Through this work, she helps shape global conversations on biodiversity, resource governance and sustainability, focusing on how evidence can best support decision-making.

Originally trained in forestry, Primmer holds a PhD in Agriculture and Forestry from the University of Helsinki and is an adjunct professor (Docent) of Environmental Policy. Her research spans environmental governance, ecosystem services, biodiversity and natural resource management, with particular attention to how institutions and organizations adapt to complex environmental challenges.