All Speakers

Medha BHASIN

IUCN

Medha is a Programme Officer within the IUCN HQ, Business & Nature Team. She supports the management of collaborations with companies, including Stora Enso, Suzano and dsm-firmenich, to realise…

Sarah OLSON

Director, Health Research

IUCN World Commission on Protected Areas 2021-2025

Sarah Olson joined WCS Global in 2011 and is currently the Director of Health Research for the Health Program. She received a joint PhD in Population Health and Environment & Resources from the…

Dalal Al-Abdulrazzak

VP, Programs

Ocean Wise

Dalal Al-Abdulrazzak is the VP of Conservation Programs at Ocean Wise, a global nonprofit whose vision is a world in which the ocean is healthy and thriving. She has extensive experience working on…

Cathy Yitong LI

Climate Crisis Commission Deputy Chair | Global Climate & Energy Policy Lead

Climate Crisis Commission | BirdLife International

Cathy Yitong Li is the Deputy Chair of IUCN's Climate Crisis Commission. Cathy has been focusing on international climate and environmental policy, multistakeholder collaboration and civil society…

Faria TARUS

Program Officer- Species Conservation

IUCN

Faria Tarus is a conservation professional with over 10 years of experience in biodiversity and natural resource management. She currently serves as a Programme Officer with the International Union…

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 (…

David RAMOS

Senior Manager, Sustainability

HSBC Bank Middle East Limited

David Ramos is a Senior Manager in Sustainability for HSBC Bank Middle East, North Africa and Turkey. From November 2022 to June 2024 he was Acting Head of Sustainability for the region while the…

Manal ALNAQBI

GIS Technician

Ekthar

Manal Alnaqbi is an Emirati GIS and Remote Sensing Technician with a Master of Science in Remote Sensing and GIS. She works in the wildlife conservation field, focusing on spatial analysis, habitat…

Katherine GALIDO

Programme/MEL Coordinator

NTFP-EP Asia

Katherine (Kate) Mana-Galido has dedicated her career to environmental advocacy, community empowerment, and sustainable resource management. She began her professional journey with the Environmental…

Shalini DHYANI

Principal Scientist

CSIR National Environmental Engineering Research Institute (NEERI)

Shalini Dhyani is a Principal Scientist at the Environmental Impact Assessment, Audit and Policy Division of CSIR-National Environmental Engineering Research Institute, Nagpur, India.Shalini is known…

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…

Jordan JOLY

Program Manager

Families in Nature

As Program Manager for Families in Nature (FIN), Jo Joly brings her background in ecology, conservation psychology, and anthrozoology to create inclusive, immersive programs that connect people of…

Johannes ELS

Operations Manager

IUCN Species Survival Commission 2021-2025

Johannes Els is a herpetologist specialising in Arabian reptiles and amphibians with a strong focus on conservation. He is Operations Manager of the Arabia’s Wildlife Centre and regional chair of the…

Bibhab TALUKDAR

Secretary General and Executive Director

Aaranyak

Bibhab Talukdar is a conservation biologist and involved in field research and applied conservation measures to secure rhinos in Asia. He is one of the founders of Aaranyak in 1989, a NGO based in…

Virginia YOUNG

Senior Research Fellow

Australian Foundation for Wilderness

Virginia Young works with global science leaders to communicate the importance of biodiversity and ecosystem integrity for carbon retention, climate mitigation and adaptation to encourage synergistic…

Fayez AL ABED

Student

Khalifa University

Fayez Al Abed is an undergraduate civil engineering student at Khalifa University, representing the next generation of engineers committed to advancing sustainability in infrastructure. His interests…

David MEYERS

Executive Director

Conservation Finance Alliance

David Meyers is the Executive Director of the Conservation Finance Alliance. He is an environmental finance expert and entrepreneur with more than 25 years of experience in sustainability, business…

Maria Jovita LAMBERT

Associate Director of International Affairs and Graduate Admissions; Adjunct Pro

Elisabeth Haub School of Law at Pace University

Maria Jovita Lambert is the Associate Director of Graduate Admissions and International Affairs and an Adjunct Professor of Law at the Elisabeth Haub School of Law at Pace University. Her work…

Carlos del Ángel ESTRADA MARCOS

Ciencias de la Tierra

IUCN Commission on Education and Communication 2021-2025

Regional Vice President Mesoamerica of the Education and Communication Commission (CEC) I am a graduate of the University of Sciences and Arts of Chiapas with a degree in Earth Sciences, I…

Nikhil ADVANI

Senior Director - Wildlife and Climate Resilience

World Wildlife Fund

Dr. Nikhil Advani's role at WWF is at the intersection of wildlife, rural communities, and climate change. Projects under Nikhil's portfolio focus on better understanding how wildlife and rural…

Lucie LABBE

Coordinatrice BESTLIFE2030

Office Français de la Biodiversité

Cécile FATTEBERT

Programme Officer

IUCN Secretariat

Cécile Fattebert joined the Protected and Conserved Areas (PCAs) Team in January 2020, to work on targeted knowledge exchanges between marine PCAs practitioners from different regions and Solution…

Carlos Mario Gutiérrez Arrubla

Alcalde municipio de La Estrella

Alcaldía de La Estrella

Zootechnician and Lawyer graduated from the University of Antioquia, Specialist in Public Management, and currently pursuing a Master's degree in Public Management and Political Representation. With…

Aysha AL HAMEDI

Unit Head Landscape

Al Ain Zoo

Academic Degree: • Bachelor's Degree in Horticulture, August 2001-June 2007, United Arab Emirates University Training Courses: • Collecting Folk Tales in the Emirates, June 15-July 3, 2002, Zayed…

Anna LEE-CARSWELL

Manager, Intergovernmental Collaboration

Parks Canada

Anna Lee-Carswell has worked for Parks Canada since 2007 and is currently the Manager, Intergovernmental Collaboration within the Protected Areas Establishment and Conservation Directorate, working…

Olga SHKABARDNYA

General Director

Energy for Development

General Director of the non-profit organization “Energy for Development”, Head of CSR and Internal Communications at the State Atomic Energy Corporation "Rosatom". She graduated from the Faculty of…

Erwan CHEREL

Responsable Aires Protégées

Comité Français de l'UICN

As a trained agricultural engineer, I completed my academic journey with a master's degree in economics and then a master's degree in anthropology. I began my professional career by consulting on…

Jibi PULU

Community elder

Idu Mishmi/Dibang Team