All Speakers

Speaker Kirti Vardhan SINGH
Kirti Vardhan SINGH

Union Minister of State, MoEFCC

Ministry of Environment, Forest & Climate Change and Ministry of External Affairs

Shri Kirti Vardhan Singh was sworn-in as Union Minister of State on 09 June 2024. He assumed charge as Minister of State for Environment, Forest & Climate Change and Minister of State for…
Speaker Sandra BERTHOU
Sandra BERTHOU

International GIS manager

Ekthar

With nearly 20 years of GIS experience, Sandra is specialized in data management, GIS software, and web GIS development. She has led numerous projects applying geospatial solutions to wildlife…
Speaker Cleofaz Quintori Soto
Cleofaz Quintori Soto

Unión Regional de los Pueblos Indígenas de la Amazonía de la Provincia de Atalaya

Speaker Agnes Kalibata
Agnes Kalibata

Chair Person

C4Impact Advisory Group

Dr. Agnes Kalibata is a distinguished scientist, policy maker and thought leader on the global stage. She is the Founder and Chair of Connect for Impact Advisory Group (C4Impact Advisory Group), a…
Speaker Claudia Arce
Claudia Arce

KfW Development Bank

Claudia ArceDirector Latin America and the CaribbeanKfW Development Bank  Claudia Arce became director within KfW Group in 2004. Since July 2020 Claudia is responsible for the Latin America…
Speaker Abdulelah ALRASHOUDI
Abdulelah ALRASHOUDI

Coral Restoration Specialist

SHAMS

Speaker Jianing GAO
Jianing GAO

Project Officer

Eco Foundation Global

Speaker Ferdinando DIDONNA
Ferdinando DIDONNA

MSC

SOCIETA' SPELEOLOGICA ITALIANA ETS

Having graduated in forestry sciences in Bari in 1998, today I work in cooperation with Latin America countries as a consultant for a European technical assistance company in the fields of rural and…
Speaker Alex Dehgan
Alex Dehgan

CEO & Co-Founder

Conservation X Labs

Dr. Dehgan is the CEO and co-founder of Conservation X Labs, an innovation and technology startup focused ending the Sixth Mass Extinction.  Conservation X Labs both builds new technologies…
Speaker JENEEN GARCIA
JENEEN GARCIA

SENIOR EVALUATION OFFICER

GEF IEO

Jeneen R. Garcia is a Senior Evaluation Officer with over 10 years’ experience in evaluating environmental programs at the Global Environment Facility Independent Evaluation Office (GEF IEO). Her…
Speaker Bibiana SUCRE SMITH
Bibiana SUCRE SMITH

Directora Ejecutiva

Provita

Biologist with a master's degree in public management. Her technical experience has focused on the recovery of endangered species, ecosystem restoration, local community participation, and…
Speaker Julian SANTIAGO
Julian SANTIAGO

IPLC researcher

Instituto Juruá

Julian Monteiro Santiago is a researcher at Instituto Juruá and a Master’s student in Protected Areas Management in the Amazon. His work focuses on participatory governance, biodiversity conservation…
SEEMA KULSHRESHTHA
SEEMA KULSHRESHTHA
Speaker Obaid Ali Humaid Al Shamsi
Obaid Ali Humaid Al Shamsi

Head of Marine Biodiversity Section

Ministry of Climate Change and Environment

Obaid Alshamsi is Head of the Marine Biodiversity Section at the UAE Ministry of Climate Change and Environment. He specializes in ecology and environmental biology, with a focus on biodiversity…
Speaker Joseph Holway
Joseph Holway

Assistant Director

Spring Stewardship Institute

Dr. Joseph Holway is Assistant Director at the Springs Stewardship Institute (SSI), where he leads efforts to advance the scientific understanding and global stewardship of spring ecosystems. He…
Speaker EDWIN ARRIGUI TORRES
EDWIN ARRIGUI TORRES

Biólogo - Coordinador de conservación

Fundación Naturaleza y Hombre

Originally from El Pital, Huila, he has dedicated his academic and professional life to building bridges between continents—America, Europe, Africa, and Asia—in the constant pursuit of knowledge and…
Speaker Ralf SEPPELT
Ralf SEPPELT

Director

Luxembourg Centre fro Socio-Environmental Systems

Ralf Seppelt is a German mathematician, academic and author. He is a professor of Landscape Ecology and Renewable Resource Economics at Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, and was heading of…
Speaker Petch Manopawitr
Petch Manopawitr

Technical Advisor

IUCN World Commission on Protected Areas 2021-2025

Petch is a conservation scientist with over 25 years of experience in the fields of biodiversity conservation, protected area management and science on sustainability.  His master research at…
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 Yiyun SUN
Yiyun SUN

Programme Officer

IUCN

Sun Yiyun holds a Bachelor’s degree in Urban Management from Renmin University of China, and a double Master’s degree in Spatial Planning and Environmental Policy jointly awarded by Cardiff…
Speaker Jane ABSALOM
Jane ABSALOM

Lead Zoo Ranger

Chester Zoo (North of England Zoological Society)

With over seven years of experience in Conservation Education and public engagement, I am a dedicated conservation professional specialising in connecting diverse audiences with wildlife and…
Speaker Gary MAIDMENT
Gary MAIDMENT

Communications Manager

Huawei

Gary Maidment has been with Huawei since 2014 and currently works as Communications Manager for Huawei’s TECH4ALL Program Office. He is responsible for promoting TECH4ALL projects, including the…
Speaker Belén QUINTANA MARTíN-MONTALVO
Belén QUINTANA MARTíN-MONTALVO

Mediterranean Programme Assistant

IUCN Centre for Mediterranean Cooperation

I am a biologist with a background in marine conservation and a growing interest in biodiversity and ecological dynamics across different systems. My work has combined research and community…
Speaker Silole MALIH
Silole MALIH

Program Manager

IMPACT Kenya

Silole Malih is an Ilaikipiak Maasai from Laikipia North, Kenya, with a background in Range Ecology, Environmental Conservation, and Natural Resources Management. She has an unwavering passion for…
Speaker Melanie ZURBA
Melanie ZURBA

CEESP Steering Committee Member/Associate Professor

IUCN Commission on Environmental, Economic, and Social Policy (CEESP)/Dalhousie University

Chair, Theme on Governance, Equity and RightsProfessor Zurba’s work focuses on projects that are developed and implemented in collaboration with communities. Professor Zurba has worked…
Speaker Ilena ZANELLA
Ilena ZANELLA

Presidente

Misión Tiburón

Ilena Zanella is a marine biologist and a Master in Wildlife Management andConservation from Institute for Wildlife Conservation and Management,Universidad Nacional de Costa Rica. She is the co-…
Speaker Liette VASSEUR
Liette VASSEUR

Professor/ UNESCO Chair

Brock University

Deputy Chair - Commission on Ecosystem Management. Dr. Vasseur is a full professor in the Department of Biological Sciences at Brock University. She is a member of the Environmental…
Speaker Cara NELSON
Cara NELSON

Professor

University of Montana

Cara is a Professor and Chair of the Department of Ecosystem and Conservation Sciences at University of Montana’s Franke College of Forestry and Conservation. Her research program generates knowledge…