All Speakers

Addison MARRY-CHOW

Content Development & Communications Coordinator

Families In Nature

Penny BECKER

Chief Executive Officer

Island Conservation

Penny joined Island Conservation in January 2020 and then became the organization's Chief Executive Officer in 2024. She has a passion for learning and practicing leadership around conservation…

Yves OLATOUNDJI

Programme Officer - IUCN Green List

IUCN

With a strong academic background in biodiversity conservation and over eight years of experience in protected and conserved areas management, Yves Olatoundji has a solid track record in ecological…

James MCBREEN

Senior Programme Manager

IUCN, International Union for Conservation of Nature

I lead IUCN's work to develop and deploy appropriate technology and digital innovation to catalyse effective, equitable, and successful area-based species conservation. With over 18 years in the…

HASHINUR RAHMAN PAVEL

Research Officer

Centre for Environment and Climate Change Research, Ministry of Environment and Climate Change-Bangladesh

Hi, I am Hashinur Rahman Pavel, a Research Officer at the Centre for Environment and Climate Change Research (CECCR) under the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Bangladesh. I…

chris dorsett

Vice President, Conservation

Ocean Conservancy

Andréanne MARTEL

Directrice principale du projet ReSea

Mission inclusion

Andréanne Martel is a passionate leader with over 15 years of experience managing complex partnerships in Canada and internationally. She is the Director of the ReSea project, an ambitious initiative…

Paul SMITH

Secretary General (CEO)

Botanic Gardens Conservation International

Dr Paul Smith is the Secretary General of Botanic Gardens Conservation International (BGCI). BGCI is the largest plant conservation network in the world, comprising 650 member institutions in 100…

Maya SUMI

Expart

National Institute for Environmental Studies, Japan

With a background in forest ecology, I first worked in the international division of a private company, managing overseas offices. After three years at the Japan Committee for IUCN, I joined my…

Milan Gazdić

Director

Environmental Protection Agency

Forestry PhD with over 12 years of international experience in forest ecology, sustainable forest management, and nature conservation. Director of the Environmental Protection Agency of Montenegro (…

Denis MICHEZ

Professor

University of Mons

Denis Michez holds a degree in engineering from University of Liège (Belgium) and a Ph-D in Biological Sciences from the University of Mons (Belgium). He did a postdoc at Cornell University (USA) in…

Orsolya Nyárai

Agriculture NbS & Policy Advocacy Officer

IUCN Secretariat

Orsolya Nyárai works as Programme Officer – Agriculture NbS & Policy Advocacy in the Food and Agricultural Systems team of IUCN, based in Gland, Switzerland. Through her work on knowledge…

Shamen VIDANAGE

Country Representative, IUCN Sri Lanka

IUCN

Shamen Vidanage brings over 30 years of experience in natural resource management at government, academia and non-government sectors. He is currently the Country Representative of IUCN Sri Lanka…

Yolanda RAMIREZ VILLACORTA

Directora de Gestión del Conocimiento

AIDER

Anthropologist with academic training in Sociology, Amazonian Studies, Audiovisual Pedagogy, Gender, and Conservation.Extensive experience in: socioeconomic and cultural research of rural and…

Peter Bille LARSEN

lecturer

IUCN World Commission on Protected Areas 2021-2025

Linking conservation, social equity and complex heritage.

Andrew WILLSON

CEO

Future Seas

After completing a BSc in Marine Geography Andrew spent his early career developing practical skills in marine environmental monitoring and wildlife conservation, including coral reef monitoring,…

Alice PERETIE

Chengeta Wildlife

Alice Péretié is a conservationist, photographer, and writer with a background in community-based conservation. With extensive experience across Africa, she has researched, documented, and supported…

Laurence PESSEZ

Global Chief Sustainability Officer

BNP Paribas

As creator of the Sustainability function within the group, Laurence is managing BNP Paribas related policy and contributed to obtaining several awards such as the “World Best Bank for Sustainable…

Rahayu OKTAVIANI

Co-vice chair/Director

IUCN SSC Primate Specialist Group - Section on Small Apes/KIARA

Rahayu Oktaviani is the Co-Vice Chair of the IUCN SSC Primate Specialist Group - Section on Small Apes and the Co-Founder and Director of Yayasan Konservasi Ekosistem Alam Nusantara (KIARA), an…

Lebin LIU

Qingdao Marine Conservation Society

Lebin Liu has an undergraduate background in general biology and horticulture while having a master’s degree of Ecology, Evolution and Conservation at Imperial College London. She finished her master…

Luis SÁNCHEZ

Member

University of Sao Paulo

Luis E Sánchez is Full Professor at the University of São Paulo, Brazil, where he has been teaching environmental impact assessment since 1990. Trained as a mining engineer and a geographer, he…

YUMI SON

Senior Programme Officer, Coastal and Marine

IUCN

Ms. Yumi Son is the Coordinator of the Regional Coordination Unit (RCU) for the Bay of Bengal Large Marine Ecosystem Phase II (BOBLME II) Project, implemented by the Food and Agriculture Organization…

Carlos DREWS

Leader, Biodiversity Practice

WWF International

Dr. Carlos Drews has been appointed as WWF's Biodiversity Practice Leader, bringing over 30 years of international conservation leadership to the role.A native of Colombia, Carlos grew up inspired by…

Ksenia Chernaya Scanlon

Chief, Communications, External Relations and Partnerships

United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD)

Xenya Scanlon is the Chief of Communications, External Relations and Partnerships at the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD). She brings 20 years of experience on…

Grygorii KOLOMYTSEV

Nature Department Expert

Ukrainian Nature Conservation Group

Grygorii Kolomytsev is a biologist and co-founder of the Ukrainian Nature Conservation Group (UNCG), active in nature conservation and environmental advocacy for over 15 years. His work combines…

Carl BRUCH

Director, International Programs

Environmental Law Institute

Carl Bruch is the Director of International Programs at ELI and the Executive Director of the Environmental Peacebuilding Association. His research focuses on making environmental law work. He…

Timon MCPHEARSON

Director and Professor

New York University

Dr. Timon McPhearson is the founding director of the Urban Systems Lab, professor at NYU Environmental Studies, and author of Nature-based Solutions for Cities. Drawing on his mixed Native…

Mary BLAIR

Associate Director

Center for Biodiversity and Conservation, American Museum of Natural History

Mary E. Blair, Ph.D. is the Associate Director of the Center for Biodiversity and Conservation at the American Museum of Natural History. She leads an interdisciplinary research program on…