All Speakers

Emmanuelle COHEN-SHACHAM

IUCN CEM Nature-based Solutions Thematic Group Lead

IUCN Commission on Ecosystem Management

Emmanuelle is an independent consultant, researcher, project and group lead, working in fields related to Nature-based Solutions (NbS), environmental sciences and policy. She has 23 years of…

Lyraya SCHABLEIN

Events Manager

The Nature Conservancy

Lyraya works for The Nature Conservancy as an Events Manager on high visibility events. Her background spans work in marketing, fundraising, community engagement, project management, event management…

Gloria Fluxà Thienemann

Vice-Chairman & Group CSO

Grupo Iberostar

Passionate about tourism and ocean conservation, Gloria Fluxà Thienemann combines a strategic vision for innovation with specialized leadership in sustainable transformation. As a fourth-generation…

Ly NGUYEN

Chair of Management Board

Center for Environment and Community Research (CECR)

Ms. Nguyen Ngoc Ly is the founder and developer of Center for Environment and Community Research (CECR) in 2009.She holds a diploma in Food Chemistry from the Technical University of Prague, Czech…

Youness OUAZRI

Ecodome Maroc

Youness OUAZRI is a passionate earthen construction engineer with a background in civil engineering. He graduated in 2015 from Ecole Hassania des Travaux Publics and worked for two years at a…

Minnie DEGAWAN

Managing Director

FSC Indigenous Foundation

An indigenous rights activist with a long history of advocacy work at local, regional and global levels and hands on experience on FPIC and community education. Worked with conservation…

Orsibal Eliú RAMÌREZ CARDONA

Oficial técnico en adaptación al cambio climático y restauración del paisaje for

UICN

Orsibal Ramírez Cardona is a Forest Engineer with over 15 years of experience in integrated water resources management, forest landscape restoration, watershed management, and ecosystem-based…

Pradeep KURUKULASURIYA

Executive Secretary

United Nations Capital Development Fund

Pradeep Kurukulasuriya is the Executive Secretary of the United Nations Capital Development Fund. He is a Sri Lankan economist with a PhD from Yale University in the United States. Prior to…

Victoria SAWCHUK

GCELS Staff Student Intern

Center for Environmental Legal Studies

Victoria Sawchuk is a Staff Student Intern at the Global Center for Environmental Legal Studies (GCELS) and a J.D. Candidate (Class of 2026) at the Elisabeth Haub School of Law at Pace University.…

Jona OLAVSDOTTIR

PhD Researcher

Centre for Nature-based Solutions, Aarhus University

I am a PhD fellow at the Centre for Nature-based Solutions at Aarhus University, where I research governance processes and the implementation of nature-based solutions. Before joining academia, I…

Benson KASYOKI

AWF-Wall Policy Fellow

African Wildlife Foundation-Voi

I am an advocate of the High Court of Kenya and a conservation enthusiast. Currently working with the African Wildlife Foundation and involved in managing the court monitoring program within the…

Amrei VON HASE

Biodiversity and mitigation specialist

Wildlife Conservation Society

Amrei is an ecologist with a PhD from the University of Cape Town. Between 2009 and 2019 she was the Science Lead for the international multi-stakeholder Business and Biodiversity Offset Programme (…

Cheryl CHARLES

President and CEO Emeritus

IUCN Commission on Education and Communication 2021-2025

#NatureForAll Co-Chair Cheryl Charles is an innovator, entrepreneur, educator, author and organizational executive. Throughout her career, Cheryl has focused on the well-being of children, families…

Balaji VEDHARAJAN

Managing Trustee/Director

OMCAR Foundation

Dr. V. Balaji is a founder of OMCAR Foundation. (Organization for Marine Conservation Awareness and Research), He did his MSc., and M.Phil., at CAS in Marine Biology in 2000 – 2004. He completed his…

Loredana Rita SCUTO

Senior Programme Officer - Urban

IUCN

Loredana Scuto serves as Senior Programme Officer - Urban at the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), where she supports the development of IUCN knowledge products, such as the IUCN…

Debasmita BORAL ROLLAND

Regional Portfolio Manager, GEF/GCF

IUCN Secretariat

Antonieta COSTA

Director of Conservation Education

IUCN Commission on Education and Communication 2021-2025

Antonieta Costa – PhD in Education. Assistant Professor at Lisbon University for 15 years in the pedagogy area. Director of Conservation Education at Lisbon Zoo since 2007 – defines, develops…

Rija Ranaivoarison

Executive Director

Fondation des Aires Protégées et de la Biodiversité de Madagascar

Rija Ranaivoarison is the Executive Director of the Fondation pour les Aires Protégées et la Biodiversité de Madagascar (FAPBM), the largest environmental trust fund in Africa dedicated to…

Mahra SAEED ABDULLA BRAIK ALAMERI

Mahra Alameri is an Analyst in Business and Organizations at the Environment Agency – Abu Dhabi (EAD). She manages research partnerships and research initiatives, with a focus on closing the…

Pheobe OKUTOYI

Senior Wildlife Officer

Ministry of Tourism and Wildlife

A dedicated young lady with a deep passion for nature and conservation, she is dedicated to fostering environmental stewardship and sustainability. Ms. Okutoyi actively champions the meaningful…

David WILLIAMSON

Assistant Director

Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority

David is a marine scientist with expertise in coral reef ecology, fisheries biology, marine conservation research and management. He graduated with a Bachelor of Science from James Cook University (…

Marina Antonopoulou

Conservation Director

Emirates Nature-WWF

Maria PORRAS

California Condor Conservation Program Coordinator

United Nations Development Programme

María Catalina Porras Peña is a committed conservation professional with over 20 years of experience in the California Condor Reintroduction Program in Baja California, Mexico. She has collaborated…

Adnan AQEEL MADHI

Francesca BENZONI

Associate Professor

King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST)

Professor of Marine Science Francesca Benzoni explores the diversity, evolution, and ecology of corals and coral-dominated ecosystems across the tropical Indo-Pacific, with a particular focus…

Ferdinando DIDONNA

MSC

SOCIETA' SPELEOLOGICA ITALIANA ETS

Having graduated in forestry sciences in Bari in 1998, today I work in cooperation with Latin America countries as a consultant for a European technical assistance company in the fields of rural and…

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…

Johan ROBINSON

Head GEF Biodiversity and Land Degradation Unit

IUCN World Commission on Protected Areas 2021-2025

Johan Robinson is a Global Expert in sustainable environment management, strategy and conservation with over 30 years as an Environmental Specialist with high profile organisations such as the United…