All Speakers

Speaker Nihel CHABRAK
Nihel CHABRAK

Founder & CEO

Vision Nest Consultancy

Prof. Dr. Nihel Chabrak is CEO and founder of VisionNest, a strategic advisory firm championing a "Regenerative Anthropocene for All Forms of Life." With over 25 years of transformative…
Speaker Marie-Laure VERCAMBRE
Marie-Laure VERCAMBRE

Director General

French Water Partnership

Marie-Laure Vercambre has been Director-General of the French Water Partnership since July 2019. 
Speaker Kristen LEAR
Kristen LEAR

Agave Restoration Program Director

Bat Conservation International

Dr. Kristen Lear is an internationally recognized bat conservationist advancing bat conservation, large landscape-scale restoration, and connectivity conservation. With over 15 years of global…
Speaker Filippo Maria CARLI
Filippo Maria CARLI

Senior Projects'Coordinator

IUCN ROWA

Programme/Project Manager with 14 years’ experience in marine conservation, with a focus on protected areas and community-led initiatives. Driven professional passionate about managing natural…
Speaker Mercy MULENGA
Mercy MULENGA

Journalist

BBC MEDIA ACTION

Mercy is a Zambian and seasoned journalist working for Yar FM radio, with over five years of experience. Driven by the passion to uncover untold stories, Mercy is committed to amplifying marginalized…
Speaker Alejandro IZA
Alejandro IZA

Director, Environmental Law Centre

IUCN Secretariat

Ex Officio. Dr. Alejandro Iza, Director of the Environmental Law Centre. From a combined academic and practical background, he brings to IUCN a combination of expertise including a broad knowledge…
Speaker Nasim FARAHANI ZAYAS
Nasim FARAHANI ZAYAS

IUCN

Nasim is a Programme Officer at the IUCN Academy, where she develops and delivers educational programmes, collaborates with partner universities, and supports capacity-building initiatives across…
Speaker Munir VIRANI
Munir VIRANI

Chief Operating Officer

Mohamed Bin Zayed Raptor Conservation Fund LLC

Dr. Munir Virani is Chief Executive of the Abu-Dhabi-based Mohamed bin Zayed Raptor Conservation Fund dedicated to the protection and conservation of threatened birds of prey…
Speaker Andrew PLUMPTRE
Andrew PLUMPTRE

Head KBA Secretariat

KBA Secretariat

Andrew Plumptre, PhD, is head of the Key Biodiversity Areas (KBA) Secretariat, based at BirdLife International in Cambridge, UK. The KBA Secretariat supports the implementation of the KBA Programme…
Speaker Paola MEJÍA
Paola MEJÍA

MSc Ciencias Ambientales

IUCN World Commission on Protected Areas 2021-2025

Thematic Vice Chair, Conservation Outcomes. With more than 20 years of experience in Protected Areas and other area-based conservation measures in Latin America, Southeast Asia, and Africa,…
Speaker Lesle JANSEN
Lesle JANSEN

Managing Director

ACRRA- African Communities Resource Rights Alliance

Speaker Kristin KLEISNER
Kristin KLEISNER

Associate Vice President, Ocean Science

Environmental Defense Fund

Dr. Kristin Kleisner, Ph.D., is a Lead Senior Scientist and the Associate Vice President for Oceans Science at EDF. Her work is focused on understanding the multiple benefits generated by…
Speaker Melissa SONGER
Melissa SONGER

Conservation Biologist

Smithsonian National Zoo & Conservation Biology Institute

Melissa Songer is Head of the Conservation Ecology Center at Smithsonian National Zoo & Conservation Biology Institute. She works primarily on the conservation and landscape ecology of endangered…
Speaker Dorothy ABADE
Dorothy ABADE

African Natural Capital Alliance

Dorothy is the Head of the African Natural Capital Alliance (ANCA) Secretariat and Africa Lead for Nature Finance & TNFD at FSD Africa, where she leads efforts to drive systemic change in nature…
Speaker Ksenia Chernaya Scanlon
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…
Speaker Nur'ain LAPOLO
Nur'ain LAPOLO

Executive Director

Japesda

Nurain Lapolo has been the Executive Director of Japesda (Jaring Advokasi Pengelolaan Sumber Daya Alam) since 2018. She brings over a decade of experience in natural resource management, inclusive…
Speaker Ousama EL GHAZZI
Ousama EL GHAZZI

Strategy&, part of the PwC network

Partner at Strategy& with 15 years of strategy consulting experience focused on environment and conservation of natural resources, with deep expertise in land degradation, desertification, land…
Speaker Tommy Stephen GARNETT
Tommy Stephen GARNETT

Executive Director,

Environmental Foundation for Africa

West and Central Africa Regional Vice ChairTommy Garnett is a dual citizen of Ireland and Sierra Leone, with background in Agricultural and Development Economics. Following completion of post…
Speaker Daniele BAISERO
Daniele BAISERO

Data Scientist

KBA Secretariat

Daniele Baisero is a Data Scientist at the Key Biodiversity Areas Secretariat, specialising in systematic spatial approaches and habitat modelling. He developed the “Scoping Tool,” a scalable…
Speaker Daniela CAJIAO
Daniela CAJIAO

Dr.

Wageningen University and Research

Dr. Daniela Cajiao is a post-doctoral researcher. Her research has focused on Antarctic tourism, with a particular emphasis on analyzing the environmental and social dimensions of this activity.…
Speaker Daxita RAJCOOMAR
Daxita RAJCOOMAR
With over 18 years of experience Daxita has established herself as a thought leader and an influencer in the sustainability sector. She is an advocate for environmental protection and climate change…
Speaker Dongho Kim
Dongho Kim

Team Leader

Suncheon city

I am a public servant in Suncheon City, Republic of Korea. I am in charge of ecological civilization transformation and support Nature-based Solutions.
Speaker Aurélien GUINGAND
Aurélien GUINGAND

Biodiversity project manager

Ministère de l'Europe et des Affaires étrangères

Aurélien GUINGAND is a development and environmental economics expert with 15 years of research and project management experience working in and in close partnership with government, private sector,…
Speaker Ivana TOMASEVIC
Ivana TOMASEVIC

NbS Project Officer

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

Speaker Maud LELIEVRE
Maud LELIEVRE

IUCN Councillor

Association Les Eco Maires

Maud LELIEVRE est Présidente du comité français de l’union internationale de conservation de la nature (UICN), membre du conseil international de l’UICN. Déléguée générale de l’association nationale…
Speaker Rym ZAKHAMA SRAIEB
Rym ZAKHAMA SRAIEB

Trésorière

ATUTAX

I am a marine ecologist and currently serve as Assistant Professor at the Department of Fundamental Sciences, High Institute of Biotechnology of Sidi Thabet, and as a researcher at the Laboratory of…
Speaker Carla MANJATE ROMBE
Carla MANJATE ROMBE

Regional Gender Officer

IUCN

Carla Manjate Rombe is a Mozambican development professional with over 15 years of experience in program management, strategic planning, and gender equality in natural resource governance. She…
Speaker Rohit SINGH
Rohit SINGH

Director Protected and Conserved Area Governance and Management

IUCN World Commission on Environmental Law 2021-2025

Rohit has been with WWF for 19 years and brings his considerable experience, enthusiasm and insights into his position as Director PCA Management and Governance Poaching. Rohit has been working on…