Her extensive experience in the field of conservation began in 1979, when she was appointed Executive Director of Fundación Natura. In 1992, Yolanda coordinated the participation of civil society organizations in the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (Earth Summit). In 1993, she founded FFLA where she served as Executive President until 2006. In 1998, she was appointed Minister of Environment of the Republic of Ecuador. She also served as President of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) from 1996 to 2004. She currently serves as President of WWF’s International Board of Directors at the global level, and collaborates on the Boards of several national and international organizations.