All Speakers

Speaker Hao MA
Hao MA

director general

Qinghai Provincial Development and Reform Commission

I graduated from Fudan University in China with a PhD in Economics. I am currently working at the Development and Reform Commission of Qinghai Province, mainly dedicated to providing stable energy…
Speaker Ndapanda KANIME
Ndapanda KANIME

Senior Programme Officer

SADC Secretariat

Ms Ndapanda Kanime, Senior Programme Officer responsbible for Natural Resources and Wildlife- SADC SecretariatNdapanda, a Namibian national, is currently a Senior Programme Officer responsible for…
Speaker Manal ALNAQBI
Manal ALNAQBI

GIS Technician

Ekthar

Manal Alnaqbi is an Emirati GIS and Remote Sensing Technician with a Master of Science in Remote Sensing and GIS. She works in the wildlife conservation field, focusing on spatial analysis, habitat…
Speaker Lucie SERIZIER
Lucie SERIZIER

Youth Biodiversity Ambassador

Jeunes Ambassadeurs pour l'Environnement (JAE)

I graduated with a master's degree in Economic and Social Development Studies (IEDES) from Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne University and a double bachelor's degree in Economics and Geography from the…
Speaker Shaemma MEBWANA
Shaemma MEBWANA

Marine Biodiversity Specialist

Ministry of Climate Change and Environment

Shaemma Rashed Mebwana is a passionate Marine Biodiversity Specialist and sustainability advocate, driven by a mission to bridge science, policy, diplomacy, and community action. With over four years…
Speaker Sean SOUTHEY
Sean SOUTHEY

CEO

Canadian Wildlife Federation / IUCN CEC

CEO, Canadian Wildlife Federation; Chair, IUCN Commission on Education and Communication (CEC)Sean Southey has over 30 years of experience in the international development and communications field.…
Speaker Florian ROULLE
Florian ROULLE

Vice President, Sustainable Finance

Finance Montréal

Florian Roulle is Vice-President, Sustainable Finance, at Finance Montréal. He leads the company’s sustainable finance efforts and, with his team, is responsible for mobilizing the organization's…
Speaker David SMETANA
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…
Speaker Thanh Phong NGUYEN
Thanh Phong NGUYEN

Mekong Delta Programme Manager

IUCN Vietnam

Phong is an environmental and agricultural professional (D.Sc.) with 15 years of research experience. He earned his PhD from the Institute of Crop Science and Resource Conservation (INRES) at the…
Speaker Christopher WILCOX
Christopher WILCOX

Senior Director

WildAid

Over a 30-year career as a quantitative biologist, Dr. Chris Wilcox has worked with NGOs, philanthropic donors, government and private enterprise to develop cost effective solutions to natural…
Speaker Chandni NAVALKHA
Chandni NAVALKHA

Director, Conservation and Stewardship

Lincoln Institute of Land Policy

Chandni Navalkha is Director of Conservation and Stewardship at the Lincoln Institute of Land Policy in Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA, where she leads initiatives that advance and accelerate the…
Speaker Melinka NAJERA
Melinka NAJERA

Coordinadora regional del Programa Enlazando

IUCN

After my graduation in Spain and Belgium as a forestry engineer with a master in tropical forestry and development, I moved to the Central America region in 2011. During my career, I have gained…
Speaker Russell MITTERMEIER
Russell MITTERMEIER

Chief Conservation Officer

Re;wild

Russell A. Mittermeier is currently Chief Conservation Officer of Re:wild (formerly Global Wildlife Conservation), a position he has occupied since 2017. Prior to this position, he served for three…
Speaker Penny BECKER
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…
Speaker Patrick SAIDI HEMEDI
Patrick SAIDI HEMEDI

National Coordinator

Dynamique des Groupes des Peuples Autochtones

Détenteur d'un diplome de Master en sécurité environnementale et rechauffement climatique. Defenseur acharné des droits des peuples autochtones pygmées en République Démocratique du Congo.…
Speaker Sandrine FRIEDLI CELA
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…
Speaker Jessica Webb
Jessica Webb

Strategy Lead, Forests and Nature for People • Food-Land-Water Program

World Resources Institute (WRI)

Jessica Webb is Strategy Lead for Forests & Nature for People and Co-director of Global Forest Watch at the World Resources Institute (WRI). She has over 15 years of experience advancing tropical…
Speaker Andréanne BLAIS
Andréanne BLAIS

Directrice générale

Conseils régional de l'environnement du Centre-du-Québec

Andréanne Blais is a passionate biologist and an influential figure in the field of environmental protection in Quebec. She is the Executive Director of the Regional Environmental Council of Centre-…
Speaker Franziska ACHTERBERG
Franziska ACHTERBERG

Deutscher Naturschutzring - DNR

Franziska Achterberg is an environmental activist. She has been a campaigner with Greenpeace for 13 years, focusing on pesticides, GMOs and other topics. She also worked four years with the Greens/…
Speaker Annette LANJOUW
Annette LANJOUW

Chief Executive Officer

Arcus Foundation

Behavioural ecologist, primatologist, conservationist and philanthropic officer. I have worked in ape conservation, primarily in the Congo Basin, since the early 80's, including the International…
Speaker Guillermo ORTUÑO CRESPO
Guillermo ORTUÑO CRESPO

Independent Research Consultant

IUCN World Commission on Protected Areas 2021-2025

Dr. Guillermo Ortuño Crespo pursued his interest in applied marine conservation through a B.A. in Marine Biology, an M.Sc. in Ecosystem-based Management of Marine Systems at the University of St.…
Speaker Susanne PEDERSEN
Susanne PEDERSEN

Director

IUCN - International Union for Conservation of Nature

Susanne Pedersen has 30 years of experience as a board member, director, and strategic advisor from international organizations, a science-based advisory centre, an innovation community, industry…
Tamara Elzein
Tamara Elzein
Speaker Megan Jungwiwattanaporn
Megan Jungwiwattanaporn

Officer, Environment

Pew Charitable Trusts

Megan Jungwiwattanaporn supports Pew’s crosscutting environmental policy team, providing expertise and coordination to advance Pew’s engagement in multilateral forums, including the United Nations,…
Speaker Phillip KUVAWOGA
Phillip KUVAWOGA

Snr. Director- Conservation Programs

International Fund for Animal Wel

I am a environmental planning and conservation expert and highly skilled project manager with 20+ years of experience in African wildlife conservation. I have taken up roles within government and…
Speaker Elaina COX
Elaina COX

Indigenous Stewardship and Conservation

Parks Canada Agency - Agence Parcs Canada

Elaina Cox is a Top 25 Environmentalist Under 25 award winner equipped with several years of experience in environmental, climate and sustainability work through affiliations with governments,…