All Speakers

Turki ALSALEEM

Akbar JOHN

Associate Professor

University of Khorfakkan

Natalia Gabriela MINKSZTYM

YP Communications and Events

IUCN

I’m Natalia Gabriela Minksztym, a Young Professional in Communications and Events with the IUCN Water and Wetlands Team. My work focuses on digital communications, event support, and project-specific…

Katy SCHOLFIELD

Director Strategic Grantmaking

Arcus Foundation

I am the Director of Strategic Grantmaking for the Great Apes and Gibbons Program at Arcus Foundation. I oversee the foundation’s conservation grantmaking across Africa and Southeast Asia, where…

Alexandra ZIMMERMANN

Chair, IUCN SSC HWCCSG

IUCN SSC & Oxford University

Edwin ANDREWS

Executive Deputy Mayor

City of Cape Town

Deputy Mayor Eddie Andrews of Cape Town is a dynamic and forward thinking leader, driven by a commitment to sustainable development and the betterment of all residents. With a wealth of experience in…

Nicolas MBENGUE

Coordonnateur des Opérations

Cegep de la Gaspésie et des Iles

Nicolas MBENGUE is Operations Coordinator at Cegep de la Gaspésie. His work spans all international cooperation projects coordinated by the Dakar Office. He has over seven years of professional…

Rachel CLAUSING

Fondation Prince Albert II de Monaco

Rachel Clausing is the Special Advisor to the Vice President and the Head of Initiatives at the Prince Albert II of Monaco Foundation. A marine scientist by training, she earned her doctorate from…

Johanna NILSSON

Program Director

The WILD Foundation

As a lifelong advocate for nature and cultural integrity, I work with fellow indigenous Sámi to defend our ecosystems, traditions, and ways of life. I am committed to translating decades of…

Michael BALTZER

Executive Director of Shoal

SHOAL

Michael is the founder and Executive Director of the SHOAL initiative for the conservation of freshwater species. Michael has over 30 years of leading large scale ambitious conservation programmes in…

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…

Paola Elizabeth Cerón Quel

Ingeniera Forestal

GAD de la Provincia del Carchi

PAOLA ELIZABETH CERÓN QUEL, Forest Engineer, holds an International Diploma in Project Development and a Diploma in Water Schools. She has experience in the design and implementation of local,…

Manal AWAD

Minister of Local Development and Acting Minister of Environment of Egypt

Egyptian Environmental Affairs Agency

Dr. Manal Awad is the Minister of Local Development and Acting Minister of Environment of Egypt. She previously served as Governor of Damietta (2018–2024) and Deputy Governor of Giza for Community…

Jie FENG

Shan Shui Conservation Center

Feng Jie is the project director and assistant researcher of the Shanshui Nature Conservation Center in Haidian District, Beijing. He is also a special researcher at the Sichuan Academy of Social…

Tammy DAVIES

BirdLife International

Dr Tammy Davies is the Marine Science Coordinator at BirdLife International - a global Partnership of over 120 national conservation organisations. Tammy oversees the science work that underpins…

Shane MAHONEY

President, Policy & Law Division

Conservation Visions

Shane Mahoney, President of Conservation Visions and Founder of the Wild Harvest Initiative®, is an internationally recognised conservationist and dedicated wildlife advocate, as well as a foremost…

Axel MOEHRENSCHLAGER

Panthera Director of Small Cat Program; Conservation Translocations; Chair IUCN

Panthera; IUCN Conservation Translocation Specialist Group

Director of the Small Cats Program and Conservation Translocation Panthera; Chair IUCN Conservation Translocation Specialist GroupAxel Moehrenschlager, Ph.D., serves as Director of the Small Cats…

Mehdi BALAMISSA

Réalisateur de documentaires

Documentary Filmmaker

Mehdi Balamissa is a Montreal-based documentary filmmaker dedicated to nature conservation. With a notable experience in the Pacific, including collaborations with Blue Cradle Foundation and IUCN, he…

Sahil NIJHAWAN

Research Fellow

ZSL/Nature Conservation Foundation/ICCA

Dr Sahil Nijhawan is an interdisciplinary conservation anthropologist who has worked on human-wildlife relations across Latin America, Southern Africa and India. For the past decade, he has lived and…

Abdullah ALHARTHI

Manager of Rangeland Restoration

National Center for Vegetation Development and Combating Desertification

Dr. Abdullah Alharthi is a rangeland restoration specialist with a Ph.D. in Range Science & Forestry (KSU, 2022) and 14+ years of experience. He is Manager, Rangeland Rehabilitation and…

Ramson Sinya KARMUSHU

Indigenous Expert

My Indigenous Knowledge In Action

Ramson Karmushu, an Indigenous Maasai from Kenya, is the Founder of My Indigenous Knowledge In Action (MIKIA Kenya), an organization led and support Indigenous Peoples. Mr. Karmushu demonstrates a…

Jianing GAO

Project Officer

Eco Foundation Global

Liezl Stuart del Rosario

Policy Manager

World Wide Fund for Nature

Yacine AïT KACI

Art director | Futurist

ELYX Foundation | Future Culture

Yacine Aït Kaci is a visual artist and digital pioneer. Creator of ELYX, the UN’s first digital ambassador, he explores the fusion of art, innovation, and imagination through Archipel, an immersive…

Adam BREZáNI

Innovation broker

Czech Organics, s.r.o.

I am a project manager and consultant specializing in organic agriculture. I hold a Bachelor’s degree in General Agriculture from the Slovak University of Agriculture in Nitra and a Master’s degree…

Swetha STOTRA BHASHYAM

Youth Affiliate

IUCN Commission on Education and Communication 2021-2025

Chair - IUCN CEESP Young Professional Swetha Stotra Bhashyam is the Global South Focal Point of the Global Youth Biodiversity Network (GYBN). GYBN is a youth network of more than 1 million members…

Leigh Morris

Chief Executive Officer

The Wildlife Trusts

Leigh’s career began in horticulture, working and managing in plant nurseries, then teaching in land-based colleges, before 10 years at the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh, where he managed education…

Gabrielle NUSSBAUM

Senior Manager, Engagement • Global Forest Watch & Land & Carbon Lab

World Resources Institute

Gabrielle Nussbaum is a Senior Manager of Engagement for Global Forest Watch and Land & Carbon Lab at the World Resources Institute. She leads global engagement strategies for geospatial…