All Speakers
Michael APPLETON
Senior Adviser
IUCN World Commission on Protected Areas 2021-2025
Thematic Vice Chair, Capacity Development. Mike’s work as a conservation practitioner focuses on applied, area-based conservation, working in more than 40 counties to help establish protected…
Chris MAHON
Chief Executive IUCN National Committee UK
Chris Mahon Environment Ltd.
I have degrees in Environmental Science (BSc. (Hons.)) and Environmental Assessment (MSc). For thirteen years I led the Cheshire Wildlife Trust as its Director and latterly, its Chief Executive, as…
Ahmad ALANAZI
General Manager, National Greening Program
National Center for Vegetation Cover
Professional Leader Holding MBA, with practical experience in environment, waste management, recycling, logistics, healthcare, and heavy metals. Strongly skilled in strategy planning, strategy…
Eugene JO
Programme Manager
IUCN World Commission on Protected Areas 2021-2025
Eugene Jo has been coordinating the World Heritage Leadership programme between ICCROM and IUCN since 2017, based in Rome, Italy. WHL is a capacity building programme focusing on areas of effective…
Elise HUFFER
Cultural Consultant
IUCN Commission on Environmental, Economic, and Social Policy 2021-2025
Regional Vice Chair, OceaniaElise’s interests and work are in the areas of culture, conservation and development and the relationships between them in Oceania. She is an Adjunct Associate Professor…
Loic LESOBRE
Head of Conservation Genetics
Ekthar
Loïc was born in France and has spent most of his adult life overseas, notably in Morocco, South Africa, and the UAE. He joined Reneco in 2001 at the Emirates Centre for Wildlife Propagation in…
Alberto MARTíN
Nature Conservation and Food Systems project Officer
IUCN Secretariat
I am an agricultural engineer with a master's degree in geographical information systems, and a strong background in climate change adaptation and biodiversity conservation.
Eman SABBAGH
Senior Specialist in Marine and Coastal Conservation
Nationl Center for Wildlife (NCW)
Dr. Eman Sabbagh is a marine scientist with experience in marine ecology, conservation, and environmental management in the Red Sea and Arabian Gulf. She specializes in seagrass ecology, coral…
Suzi HEATON
Branch Head
DCCEEW
Suzi is the Head of the International Environment Branch in the Australian Government Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water. In that role, she is responsible for…
Daniela PICCO
Executive Director
MSC Foundation
Daniela Picco is the Executive Director of the MSC Foundation, the philanthropic arm of the MSC Group, a role she has held since 2019. She works with the family-led Board to advance its mission of…
Anne MEADEB
Directrice
Play for Nature
Anne Meadeb has been leading the endowment fund Play for Nature since early 2025. She holds an MBA in Management and Business Administration from the Sorbonne and first built her career as an…
Sergio EGUINO BUSTILLOS
Director Ejecutivo
FUNDACION PARA EL DESARROLLO DEL SISTEMA NACIONAL DE AREAS PORTEGIDAS FUNDESNAP - BOLIVIA
Agricultural Engineer with specialised in Agroecology, Protected Areas, Nature Conservation, and financial mechanisms. Master's student in International Cooperation for the Development of Peoples.…
Ajanta DEY
Joint Secretary & Programme Director
NATURE ENVIRONMENT & WILDLIFE SOCIETY
Ms. Ajanta Dey, is a conservation practitioner and has been working on ecological restoration of landscapes with an ecosystem-based approach for over two decades. She is the Joint Secretary &…
Vishwaja BAKKATHATLA
Student
No
am Vishwaja Bakkathatla, a student of grade 10 in Pallavi Model School, Hyderabad, India. I am a girl who aspires to experience, learn, and share knowledge with others. Dance has always been my…
AZIZ MONIR
IUCN CEESP-CEO of Eco Build-Ingénierie
Eco Build ingénierie
I am a civil engineer, graduated from EMSI Rabat, with over 8 years of experience in construction, structural engineering, and sustainable building practices. In December 2023, I founded BET Eco…
Vinod MATHUR
IUCN Strategic Advisor ( Biodiversity) APAP
IUCN
After serving for 33 years at the prestigious Wildlife Institute of India (WII), a globally acclaimed scientific institution of the Ministry of Environment, Forest & Climate Change, Govt. of…
Alex ROGERS
Deputy Director of Strategic Science Programmes and Partnerships
National Oceanography Centre UK
Professor Alex Rogers is a marine ecologist of more than 30 years’ experience who is interested in how biodiversity is distributed in the ocean, especially in the deep sea and on mesophotic tropical…
Valeria ZAPATA GIRALDO
PhD Researcher
Autonomous University of Barcelona
Valeria is from Colombia, and is a PhD researcher at the Institute of Environmental Science and Technology - ICTA-UAB (Barcelona, Spain) on the Conservation Data Justice project. Her research…
James MCBREEN
Senior Programme Manager
IUCN, International Union for Conservation of Nature
I lead IUCN's work to develop and deploy appropriate technology and digital innovation to catalyse effective, equitable, and successful area-based species conservation. With over 18 years in the…
Sonja KAULBARSCH
Eni
Sonja Kaulbarsch is a Biodiversity Specialist in the Environment Department of the Health, Safety, Environment and Quality Unit at Eni Global Natural Resources (formerly Eni Upstream), based at the…
Dhun DAVAR
Deputy CEO and Chief of Programs
AVPN
Dhun is Chief of Programmes and Deputy CEO. She leads AVPN’s Thematic Platforms (Climate, Gender, Health and Nutrition) and Capital Mobilisation functions providing strategic and operational…
Nicolas BOENISCH
Director
FOS Europe
Nico Boenisch is Director of Foundations of Success (FOS) Europe, where he supports conservation teams and networks to strengthen the effectiveness and impact of their work through adaptive…
Agnes Kalibata
Chair Person
C4Impact Advisory Group
Dr. Agnes Kalibata is a distinguished scientist, policy maker and thought leader on the global stage. She is the Founder and Chair of Connect for Impact Advisory Group (C4Impact Advisory Group), a…
Nafeesa ESMAIL
Senior Advisor, Human Dimensions of Conservation
Wilder Institute
With over 16 years of professional experience across sectors, regions and disciplines, Nafeesa Esmail is passionate about pragmatic win-win solutions for both nature and people. Past and current…
Lara HILDEBRAND
Nature Manager
Holcim
Lara has been working as a Nature Manager at Holcim since June 2024. She has a Master’s in Nature conservation from Wageningen University and Research. At Holcim Lara is in charge of topics…
Antonela COBANAJ
National Agency of Protected Areas
Antonela Cobanaj is a Specialist at the Directorate of Project Development in the National Agency of Protected Areas of Albania, where she has been working since 2019. She holds a Master of Science…
Susana CÁRDENAS
Directora
Universidad San Francisco de Quito USFQ
Susana Cardenas is an ecologist and natural resource economist currently working as full-time professor, researcher and Director of the Institute of Applied Ecology at Universidad San Francisco de…
Sandra BERTHOU
International GIS manager
Ekthar
With nearly 20 years of GIS experience, Sandra is specialized in data management, GIS software, and web GIS development. She has led numerous projects applying geospatial solutions to wildlife…