All Speakers

Kris SIMONS

Michael Esgro

Senior Biodiversity Program Manager & Tribal Liaison

California Ocean Protection Council

Senior Biodiversity Program Manager & Tribal Liaison at the California Ocean Protection Council/California Natural Resources Agency

Polen Cisneros

Program Manager, Wildlife Crime

International Fund for Animal Welfare

Cecilio SOLíS LIBRADO

Presidente

Federación Indígena Empresarial y Comunidades Locales de México. A.C.

Geógrafo egresado de la Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM), Origen: Nahua mexicano de la Sierra Norte de Puebla, servicio social Instituto Nacional para la Educación de los Adultos…

Rashed KARKAIN

CEO/MD

Sustainable Development Research and Training Institute

Dr. Rashed Mohamed Karkain, author of the book Sustainable Development Leaders, is the CEO and Managing Director of the Sustainable Development Research and Training Institute…

Milica MISKOVIC

Programme Officer

IUCN Regional Office for Eastern Europe and Central Asia (ECARO)

I am the Conservation programme officer for IUCN (Regional office for Eastern Europe, North and Central Asia), based in Belgrade and have been with IUCN for 5 years now. Prior to that I worked for…

Lina SARKIS

Coordinator of development

Shouf Biosphere Reserve

Lina Sarkis carries over 15 years of experience in the fields of conservation, rural development, and NGO management. She has a proven track record in leading initiatives for biodiversity…

Duko HOPMAN

Executive Director

Rob Walton Foundation

Duko Hopman Executive Director, Rob Walton FoundationDuko joined the Rob Walton Foundation in February 2025 after more than a decade at McKinsey & Company, where he co-founded and co-led the…

matthijs VAN RIJN

Founder

THE GREEN INTELLIGENCE B.V.

Matthijs van Rijn is the visionary founder of The Green Intelligence, an organization dedicated to promoting sustainable agriculture, environmental conservation, and community empowerment. A nature…

Chetan KUMAR

Global Head

IUCN Secretariat

Chetan brings in a strong track record of conducting and managing interdisciplinary research programs on environment and development issues. His work has mainly focussed on better understanding and…

Steven DICKINSON

Company Biodiversity Expert

IUCN Commission on Ecosystem Management 2021-2025

Steven Dickinson is the Corporate Biodiversity Expert at TotalEnergies, a global energy company active in 130 countries. He leads the company’s biodiversity program, overseeing policy, tools,…

Achinthi VITHANAGE

Professor and Exec. Dir. of Envt'l Law Programs

Center for Environmental Legal Studies

Prior to joining Haub Law as the Associate Director of Environmental Law Programs, Professor Vithanage was a Visiting Associate Professor of Law and the first Environmental and Energy Law Fellow with…

Hanna HADDAD

Programme Assistant-Protected Areas & Biodiversity

IUCN Regional Office for West Asia

Eng. Hanna Haddad is a motivated conservationist and a detail-oriented problem-solver. He is currently the Programme Assistant for the Protected Areas & Biodiversity, World Heritage Programme at…

Julia MARTON-LEFÈVRE

Chair of Board

Villars Institute Foundation

Julia Marton-Lefèvre is a member of a number of boards focused on environment, development, education and good governance. She Chairs the Board of Trustees of the Vllars Institute Foundation,…

Christina FERNANDES

Facilizator

Emirates Soil Museum

Christina is a 500-hr+ certified yoga teacher and completed her permaculture design certificate (PDC) in 2020 with Permaculture Education in the US as well as the Permaculture Educators Course with…

David SMETANA

Principal Consultant

Esri

Mr. Smetana is a Geographer and Principal Consultant with Esri Professional Services. He advises Esri's nonprofit and government customers, global distributors, and business partners on geospatial…

Thani MOHAMED-SOILIHI

Ministre délégué

France

Married and father of three children, Thani Mohamed-Soilihi was born on June 20, 1972 in Sada, Mayotte. A graduate of the École du Centre Ouest des Avocats de Poitiers, he has been practicing as a…

Ameyali RAMOS

Deputy Chair, CEESP

IUCN Commission on Environmental, Economic, and Social Policy 2021-2025

Commission Deputy Chair Ameyali Ramos is currently the Deputy Chair of the IUCN Commission on Environmental, Economic and Social Policy (CEESP). Ameyali has more than 20 years of experience…

Ralph Regenvanu

Minister for Climate Change Adaptation, Energy, Environment, Meteorology, Geo-Hazards and Disaster Management

Vanuatu

Ralph Regenvanu is Vanuatu’s Minister for Climate Change Adaptation, Energy, Environment, Meteorology, Geo-Hazards and Disaster Management. He is currently serving his sixth term as a Member of…

Sandrine FRIEDLI CELA

Sandrine Friedli Cela is IUCN’s Legal Adviser since January 2015 and is based at IUCN Headquarters in Switzerland. In her role, she provides legal advice to all components of IUCN and, in particular…

Fayaz ANWAR

Project Officer

Emirates Nature-WWF

Passionate about conservation, community engagement and data. My work as a Project Officer at Emirates Nature-WWF combines technical expertise with outreach, to lead citizen science initiatives that…

Pedro CUNHA MENEZES

National Director of Protected Areas

Ministério do Meio Ambiente

Pedro da Cunha e Menezes is a career Diplomat. In that capacity he was Brazil's Deputy Representative to the United Nations Environment Programme in Nairobi, Kenya. He is a Brazilian negotiator for…

Norbert BAERLOCHER

Head International Climate and Biodiversity Policy

Office fédéral de l'environnement

Camille LAU

Young Professional, Protected and Conserved Areas Team

International Union for Conservation of Nature

Barbara LANG LENTON

Director Jumeirah Burj Al Arab Aquariums and Dubai Turtle Rehabilitation Project

JUMEIRAH

Felipe PAREDES

VicepresidenteMarino CMAP UICN y Director Oceana

IUCN World Commission on Protected Areas 2021-2025

Thematic Vice Chair, Marine. Felipe Paredes is a marine biologist from Chile, with more than 20 years of experience in scientific research, education and marine conservation public policy. He is…

Fanta Bocoum

Elisa HARLEY

CEO / Founder / Student

Enivo NZ

Planting trees shouldn’t create plastic waste - right? That's why, when 19-year-old Elisa Harley fell in love with the beauty of nature, she founded the Aotearoa-New Zealand business, Enivo Pots.…