All Speakers

Speaker Pascal AHOUANVOEGBE
Pascal AHOUANVOEGBE

PhD Candidate/ Tokyo City University; IUCN CEM Young Professional Focal Point fo

IUCN

For over seven years, Pascal has been on the front lines of conservation, leading complex initiatives that protect biodiversity and promote sustainable future. A skilled strategist and partnership…
Speaker Evelyn UNDERWOOD
Evelyn UNDERWOOD

Senior policy analyst

Institute for European Environmental Policy

Evelyn heads IEEP’s Biodiversity and Ecosystems team since June 2021, and has been a policy analyst in the team since 2012. Her areas of expertise include implementation of EU biodiversity policy,…
Speaker Anil KUMAR
Anil KUMAR

Advisor, Environment Information Management

Environment Agency - Abu Dhabi

Anil Kumar is an expert in environmental data and information management with over three decades of experience advancing geospatial technologies, artificial intelligence, and digital strategies for…
Speaker Srijana Joshi Rijal
Srijana Joshi Rijal

Ecosystem Specialist

International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development

Dr. Srijana Joshi is an Ecosystem Specialist for ICIMOD’s work on Landscapes. She is a plant ecologist by profession with over 15 years of experience working in the field of ecology and natural…
Speaker Hannah FAIRBANK
Hannah FAIRBANK

Senior Biodiversity Specialist

The Global Environment Facility secretariat

Speaker Maitha ALMHEIRI
Maitha ALMHEIRI

Biologist

Ministry of Climate Change and Environment

Maitha Abdulla Al Mheiri is a biologist in the Biodiversity Management Department at the UAE Ministry of Climate Change and Environment. With over five years of national and international experience…
Speaker David MEYERS
David MEYERS

Executive Director

Conservation Finance Alliance

David Meyers is the Executive Director of the Conservation Finance Alliance. He is an environmental finance expert and entrepreneur with more than 25 years of experience in sustainability, business…
Speaker Loïs Lelanchon
Loïs Lelanchon

Head of Partnerships and Advocacy

World Association of Zoos and Aquariums

Loïs Lelanchon is the Head of Partnerships and Advocacy at the World Association of Zoos and Aquariums (WAZA). A qualified legal professional specialising in environmental and animal law, Loïs brings…
Speaker Laura SONTER
Laura SONTER

Technical Director - Science & Policy

The Biodiversity Consultancy

Dr Laura Sonter is Technical Director for Science and Policy at The Biodiversity Consultancy and an Adjunct Associate Professor at The University of Queensland. With over 15 years’ experience at the…
Speaker Edgar RIBEIRO
Edgar RIBEIRO

Programme Officer

IUCN SSC CEC Behaviour Change Task Force

B.Sc. in Biology and Geology, with a specialization in Environmental Education, Edgar has 15 years of experience at Zoomarine Portugal, where he has developed expertise across multiple disciplines…
Speaker Florence CLAP
Florence CLAP

Programme Officer Biodiversity Policies

IUCN French Committee

Ecologist, passionate naturalist and graduate in environmental law. Manage since 2008 programs on biodiversity policies and education and communication. Her main mission is to work for mainstreaming…
Speaker Adrián BENEDETTI
Adrián BENEDETTI

Director Ejecutivo

ANCON

Speaker Guilherme OLIVEIRA
Guilherme OLIVEIRA

Scientific Director

Vale Institute of Technology

Dr. Oliveira’s current work focuses on describing the biodiversity of the amazon, from a molecular perspective, with the use of DNA barcoding, genomics, and proteomics approaches. Extensive use of…
Speaker Steven Ross
Steven Ross

Chief Development & External Relations Officer

Wilder Institute

Steven Ross is a dynamic executive leader and lifelong conservationist with nearly 20 years of experience advancing environmental and social impact through strategic fundraising, government relations…
Speaker FADI GHANEM
FADI GHANEM

President

GHADI

Fadi Ghanem is the founder and President of Ghadi Environmental Association, a Lebanese national organization dedicated to protecting the environment, preserving natural diversity and preventing…
Speaker Vinitaa Hemant APTE
Vinitaa Hemant APTE

Founder & Director

TERRE Policy Centre

Dr. Vinitaa a multifaceted personality & founder of TERRE started this NGO with a motto “To think is good but to act is better”. Dr. Apte has an out of the box thinking process and due to which…
Speaker Myrna SEMAAN
Myrna SEMAAN

President

Friends of Nature

MYRNA SEMAAN PhD Brief summaryA- Project Management and Consultancy (over 15 years):International organizations: 7 topics for IUCN, EU Commission, GEFGovernment: - ecological studies to the…
Speaker Paula HARRISON
Paula HARRISON

Professor

UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology

Paula Harrison is Principal Natural Capital Scientist and Professor of Land and Water Modelling at the UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology. Paula serves as Co-Chair of the IPBES Nexus Assessment on…
Speaker Taras BAINS
Taras BAINS

Junior Professional- World Heritage

International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN)

Taras is a young conservation professional with experience across natural world heritage, conservation communications, environmental education and protected areas/community-based conservation. He…
Speaker Hui REN
Hui REN

GEF and GCF Task Manager

IUCN

As the GEF/GCF Task Manager at IUCN, Hui Ren oversees the formulation and implementation of GEF and GCF projects across the West Asia portfolio. Since 2022, including her experience as a Climate…
Speaker Raghida HADDAD
Raghida HADDAD

Editor-in-Chief, Al Hima magazine

SPNL - Society for the Protection of Nature in Lebanon

 Raghida Haddad (coordinator) is Editor-in-Chief of SPNL’s biannual Al Hima Magazine, describing it as “a gift to Arab environmentalists, delivering SPNL’s mission to preserve nature by…
Speaker Enni KALLIO
Enni KALLIO

Programme Officer, Climate Change

IUCN

Enni Kallio is a Programme Officer at the IUCN European Regional Office in Bonn, advancing the work on ecosystem-based climate adaptation. She has over eight years of experience working in…
Speaker HESTER GROENEWALD
HESTER GROENEWALD

Senior Associate

PeaceNexus Foundation

Hesta Groenewald is a Senior Associate with the PeaceNexus Foundation, where she supports conservation and climate-focused organisations to integrate conflict sensitivity into their work. She…
Speaker Noura ALMANSOORI
Noura ALMANSOORI

Research Assistant (Conservation Genetics)

Reneco International Wildlife Consultants LLC

Noura Almansoori is a conservation genetics researcher from the UAE who applies DNA-based barcoding and metabarcoding methods to study arthropods, birds, and pathogens. Her research spans population…
Speaker Max Andonirina Noëli FONTAINE
Max Andonirina Noëli FONTAINE

Minister of Environment and Sustainable Development

Ministry of Environment and Sustainable Development

Max Andonirina Fontaine, 29, is Madagascar’s Minister of Environment and Sustainable Development. Before his appointment, he founded Bôndy, a social enterprise dedicated to reforestation and…
Speaker Anthony GOLDNER
Anthony GOLDNER

Chief Executive Officer

Taskforce on Nature-related Financial Disclosures (TNFD)

Tony has been CEO of the TNFD since its inception in 2021, driving the strategy of the TNFD, coordinating support to its 40 Taskforce members and building a global network of partnerships that has…
Speaker Neovitus SIANGA
Neovitus SIANGA

Director of Community Conservation and Environment

Tanzania People & Wildlife

Neovitus is an esteemed Director of Community Conservation and Environment for African People & Wildlife, known for his unwavering commitment to preserving our natural world and empowering local…