All Speakers

Speaker KATHARINE HAYHOE
KATHARINE HAYHOE

Chief Scientist

The Nature Conservancy

Katharine Hayhoe is an atmospheric scientist whose research focuses on understanding what climate change means for people and the places where we live. She is the Chief Scientist for The Nature…
Speaker ANUKRITI SHARMA
ANUKRITI SHARMA

Special Projects Director and Environmental Scientist

CitizenScience.Asia

Anukriti Sharma is an environmental scientist and geographer whose work centers on citizen science, nature education, and climate action. She directs the Asia Nature Challenge, Asia’s first large-…
Speaker Sandrine Enguehard
Sandrine Enguehard

Deputy Chief Sustainability Officer

Societe Generale

Deputy CSO since March 2024, Sandrine is notably in charge of our Nature task force and Sustainable Business.Previously Sandrine Enguehard was Heading our Sustainable finance team for SG…
Speaker Jacinta ABALAKA
Jacinta ABALAKA

National Programme Coordinator

Society for Sustainability and Conservation Education for Rural Areas (SCERA)

Jacinta Abalaka is a conservation biologist with over 20 years experience in capacity building in conservation and ecology, and 10 years experience in grant and resource management. She has worked…
Speaker Georgina PEREIRA
Georgina PEREIRA

Species Survival Manager

Terra, Expo City Dubai

Georgie is a desert ecologist based out of the United Arab Emirates. She specializes in mycology, fungal conservation, and environmental education. She leads the IUCN SSC Centre for Species…
Speaker Daniel MARNEWICK
Daniel MARNEWICK

Programme Manager

IUCN

Daniel Marnewick is a conservation professional with over 27 years of experience leading strategic initiatives in biodiversity protection across Eastern and Southern Africa. He currently serves as…
Speaker Michael Esgro
Michael Esgro

Senior Biodiversity Program Manager & Tribal Liaison

California Ocean Protection Council

Senior Biodiversity Program Manager & Tribal Liaison at the California Ocean Protection Council/California Natural Resources Agency
Speaker Jeanette NOACK
Jeanette NOACK

Directora

Alianza de Derecho Ambiental y Agua

Lawyer and notary public, she holds a Master's degree in Marine and Coastal Sciences with an emphasis on Integrated Coastal Management and a Master's degree in International Relations. She is…
Speaker Morgan MARTIN
Morgan MARTIN

GCELS Staff Intern

Global Center for Environmental Legal Studies

I am a recent graduate from the Elisabeth Haub School of Law. I received my Juris Doctor Magna Cum Laude with an advanced certificate in Environmental Law. 
Speaker Hanta Julie RAZAFIMANAHAKA
Hanta Julie RAZAFIMANAHAKA

Executive Director

Madagasikara Voakajy

Julie Hanta Razafimanahaka is a Malagasy conservation ecologist and Director of Madagasikara Voakajy, an NGO dedicated to safeguarding Madagascar’s unique biodiversity. Inspired as a teenager by the…
Speaker Arsène Alain SANON
Arsène Alain SANON

Regional Head, Protected Areas & Biodiversity

IUCN

Arsene Alain Sanon holds a PhD in Environmental Geosciences, which he obtained in 2009 from Nancy 1 University (France). Prior to that, he obtained a DESS (postgraduate diploma) and then a DEA (…
Speaker Grygorii KOLOMYTSEV
Grygorii KOLOMYTSEV

Nature Department Expert

Ukrainian Nature Conservation Group

Grygorii Kolomytsev is a biologist and co-founder of the Ukrainian Nature Conservation Group (UNCG), active in nature conservation and environmental advocacy for over 15 years. His work combines…
Speaker Carlos SÁNCHEZ  MARTÍNEZ
Carlos SÁNCHEZ MARTÍNEZ

Director

Fundacion Naturaleza y Hombre

Carlos Sánchez Martínez (born in Santander, Cantabria, 1969) is a Spanish naturalist, conservationist, and environmental manager widely recognized for his lifelong dedication to preserving the…
Speaker Rosanne CASIMIR
Rosanne CASIMIR

Kukwpi7 Chief

Tk’emlúps te Secwépemc First Nations

Kúkwpi7 Chief Rosanne Casimir, O.B.C. is an eminent and respected leader of Tk’emlúps te Secwépemc (TteS), a principal community within the Stk’emlúpsemc te Secwépemc Nation (SSN). The SSN, which…
Speaker Martín ZORDAN
Martín ZORDAN

CEO

World Association of Zoos and Aquariums (WAZA)

Dr  Martín Zordan is a veterinary‑trained conservationist who earned his degree in veterinary medicine before taking on leadership roles in wildlife care and advocacy. He served as Executive Director…
Speaker Timon MCPHEARSON
Timon MCPHEARSON

Director and Professor

New York University

Dr. Timon McPhearson is the founding director of the Urban Systems Lab, professor at NYU Environmental Studies, and author of Nature-based Solutions for Cities. Drawing on his mixed Native…
Speaker Marina KOSMUS
Marina KOSMUS

Head of Competence Centre Biodiversity, Forests and Agriculture

GIZ

Marina Kosmus is Head of the Competence Centre for Biodiversity, Forests, and Agriculture at GIZ HQ (German Agency for International Cooperation). She brings over 20 years of professional experience…
Speaker Ahmad ATMEH
Ahmad ATMEH

Project Coordinator

IUCN Secretariat

Ahmad Al Atmeh is Project Coordinator at IUCN ROWA, focusing on rangeland management, dryland restoration, and community-based natural resource management. With more than 8 years of experience in the…
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…
Speaker Marcela FERNANDEZ
Marcela FERNANDEZ

Founder

Glacier Nation

 Colombian environmental activist and the founder of Cumbres Blancas, an NGO focused on raising awareness about the rapid disappearance of tropical glaciers. Learning that these are the first to…
Speaker Ruben KHACHATRYAN
Ruben KHACHATRYAN

Founding Director

FPWC

Ruben Khachatryan is a conservation leader with over two decades of experience pioneering cross-sectoral solutions to biodiversity loss, species protection, and environmental education in the South…
Speaker Heliabel BOMSTEIN
Heliabel BOMSTEIN

Head of Nature Finance and Partnerships

Sango Nature Project

Héliabel Bomstein is the Nature Finance and Partnerships Lead for the Sango Nature Project, a pioneering 60,000-hectare wildlife conservancy in southeastern Zimbabwe. She is currently driving the…
Speaker Julien Pierre
Julien Pierre

CEO of Fair Play For Planet

Play For Nature

My name is Julien Pierre, and I am 43 years old. For almost 20 years, I had the opportunity to pursue a career as a professional rugby union player, during which I experienced many memorable moments…
Speaker Vasanti RAO
Vasanti RAO

Director General

Centre for Media Studies (CMS)

Nature Education for Sustainability Co-Chair & South and Southeastern Asia Regional Vice ChairDr (Ms) Vasanti Rao is the Director General of CMS (Centre for Media Studies) - a research based…
Speaker Pam MCELWEE
Pam MCELWEE

Professor

Rutgers University

I am an environmental anthropologist with additional training in geography and forestry & ecology. My interests are in the social impacts of global environmental problems, and the distributional…
Speaker Leo NISKANEN
Leo NISKANEN

Regional Head - Biodiversity Conservation

IUCN ESARO

Leo Niskanen is Regional Head – Biodiversity Conservation for IUCN in Eastern and Southern Africa. Leo oversees IUCN's biodiversity conservation work in the region leading a multi-cultural and…
Speaker Pedro CUNHA MENEZES
Pedro CUNHA MENEZES

National Director of Protected Areas

Ministério do Meio Ambiente

Pedro da Cunha e Menezes is a career Diplomat. In that capacity he was Brazil's Deputy Representative to the United Nations Environment Programme in Nairobi, Kenya. He is a Brazilian negotiator for…
Speaker Myrna SEMAAN
Myrna SEMAAN

President

Friends of Nature

MYRNA SEMAAN PhD Brief summaryA- Project Management and Consultancy (over 15 years):International organizations: 7 topics for IUCN, EU Commission, GEFGovernment: - ecological studies to the…