Professor Atlhopheng is the Chief Executive Officer charged with leading the Institute and operationalising the NARDI Strategy which outlines the aspirations of the NARDI Board of Directors. He is responsible for ensuring the organisation is structured and resourced optimally to ensure the achievement of NARDI strategic objectives. Prior to being NARDI CEO, Professor Atlhopheng served multiple leadership positions and tasks of local and international impact. He is a UN trained assessor of competencies, chaired local organising committees for the International Data Week and the International Juniour Science Olympiad, in 2018. Has chaired the Appointments and Promotions Committee (of former BCA) and was Council Member when BUAN statutes were formulated. He is the United Nation’s trained Expert Negotiator in Multilateral Environmental Agreements e.g. climate change, the Sustainable Development Goals; and the Botswana Chairman of the National Task Force of United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD). He chaired the National Mirror Committee (under BOBS) and participation in international development of the land degradation standards under ISO. He served as a member of various Presidential Task Force and Leadership in government advisory groups. Professor Atlhopheng has over 30 years of experience in academia, with Teaching, Research, Professional Engagement, and Supervision of BSc, MSc & PhDs. He has served at the University of Botswana as Head of Department, Dean of the Faculty of Science, where he attained Full Professor rank. He has comprehensive Research and Publications, with some of his publications piloted as rural sustenance strategies to diversify sources of livelihoods. Professor Atlhopheng holds PhD from the University of Wollongong, Department of Geosciences in Australia, MSc from Kings College London (University of London) in the United Kingdom and BSc with Honours from the University of East Anglia in the United Kingdom.