All Speakers

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.…

Tariq ABU TALEB

Executive Director

Wadi for Sustainable Ecosystems Development (Wadi)

Tariq Abu Taleb – Executive Director & Founding Member, Wadi for Sustainable Ecosystems Development (Wadi)Tariq Abu Taleb is the Executive Director and a founding member of Wadi for Sustainable…

Deborah BACKUS

CEO

Clean Rivers

Deborah Backus is the CEO of Clean Rivers, a UAE-backed foundation addressing challenges at the nexus of waste and water. With over 20 years of experience leading transformative initiatives, she is…

Piero GENOVESI

Head of Wildlife Service and Biodiversity Monitoring

Istituto Superiore per la Protezione e la Ricerca Ambientale

Piero Genovesi, PhD, Head of wildlife service with the Italian Institute for Environmental Protection and Research, Chair of the IUCN SSC Invasive Species Specialist Group and member of the Steering…

Baerbel VOGEL

Secretary

IUCN/WCPA GSG Caves and Karst Working Group

Over 30 years I am an engaged speleologist with a special focus on cave and karst protection and policy. I serve as president for the German Speleological Federation VdHK for almost 20 years now. In…

Wael BUSHAH

Chief Executive Officer (CEO)

Vegetation Cover Development Foundation

Eng. Wael Bushah currently serves as the CEO of Morooj Foundation where he leads strategic efforts to promote environmental sustainability across the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. He has also played a…

Christy WILLIAMS

NEOM

Amirtharaj Christy Williams is Director of Land Conservation at NEOM, where he leads the development and management of the NEOM Nature Reserve’s land area, including one of the world’s largest…

Takao AIBA

Chair of Planning Sub-comittee

Keidanren Nature Conservation Council

Contact point and account manager Toyota in Japan, liaising with our Japan office

Tania ROMERO BAUTISTA

Doctoral Student

Global Environmental Facility (GEF), Florida International University

Tania is a PhD candidate in Earth and Systems Science at Florida International University. Tania's current research interests focus on making conservation and sustainable development strategies more…

Bethany KRAFT

Sr. Director, Coastal and Marine Resilience

National Audubon Society

Bethany Carl Kraft serves as The National Audubon Society's Senior Director of Coastal and Marine Resilience. In this role, Bethany directs coastal and marine conservation programs, setting…

Rinah RAZAFINDRABE

Directeur Général de la Gouvernance Environnementale

Ministère de l'Environnement et du Développement Durable Madagascar

Mr. Rinah Razafindrabe is the Director General of Environmental Governance within the Ministry of Environment and Sustainable Development. He has 20 years of experience in the field of natural…

Alen Amirkhanyan

Director

AUA Acopian Center for the Environment

Alen Amirkhanian is the Director of the American University of Armenia’s (AUA) Acopian Center for the Environment, a position he has held since 2013. In 2023, he became the inaugural Chair of the…

Heather KUHLKEN

Founder and Executive Director at Families in Nature

Families in Nature

As the Founder and Executive Director of the award-winning non-profit organization, Families in Nature, Heather Kuhlken combines her experience as a biologist and educator with her passion for nature…

Hannah FAIRBANK

Senior Biodiversity Specialist

The Global Environment Facility secretariat

Peter LEIMGRUBER

Director of Conservation and Science

Smithsonian's National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute

Peter Leimgruber is the Director for Conservation and Science of the National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute (NZCBI).Previously, he served as the director of NZCBI's Conservation Ecology…

Lisa Aylett

World Heritage Outlook Coordinator

IUCN

Lisa Aylett has a BSc in Ecological and Environmental Sciences with Management from the University of Edinburgh and a MSc in Conservation Science from Imperial College London. Having grown up in…

Raquel SIGüENZA

Country Representative

IUCN

Raquel Sigüenza is a biologist who graduated from the Faculty of Chemical Sciences and Pharmacy at the University of San Carlos of Guatemala (USAC) and holds postgraduate studies in Rural Development…

Chen Cheng

Program Director

SHAN SHUI Conservation Center

Dr. Cheng ChenProgram Director, Nature Watch Program, Shan Shui Conservation CenterPhD on ecology in Chinese Academy of ChinaPost Doc in Life Science School, Peking UniversityDr. Cheng Chen is…

Yamide Dagnet

SVP International

Natural Resources Defense Council

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,…

Tia STEVENS

Branch Head

Australian Government. Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water

Tia Stevens, Branch Head – Strategy and Indigenous Protected Areas Parks Australia – Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water (DCCEEW) Tia is an experienced Senior…

amir ISLAM

Veterinarian

Al Ain Zoo

I am a passionate Veterinarian. Being on dynamic roles in veterinary medicine, I have been empowered to serve the majestic jewels of nature by upholding the highest standards in animal healthcare,…

Marc MAGAUD

Director, Global Convenings and Events

IUCN Secretariat

NUKLU PHOM

TEAM LEADER

LEMSACHENLOK

Nuklu Phom is a Social worker from the state of Nagaland, India, engaged in biodiversity conservation. Presently engaged in: Conservation & Preservation of Biodiversity Creating an Improved…

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.…

Rocío CORDOBA

Independent Professional

CEM IUCN

Master of Biology with more than 25 years of experience in the formulation, follow-up and management of conservation and sustainable development programs and projects, especially integrated water…

Patrick KIMANI

Director

Coastal and Marine Resource Development

Dr. Patrick Kimani (PhD) is a co-director at Coastal and Marine Resource Development (COMRED- https://comred.or.ke/ ). He serves as the Technical Advisor on Fisheries Governance, Livelihoods and…

Hermine KLEYMANN

Head of Policy, Forests

WWF International