All Speakers

Speaker David GADSDEN
David GADSDEN

Senior Geospatial Advisor

DevPartners

Applied geographer with over 30 years of experience designing and implementing Geographic Information Systems (GIS) for conservation, sustainable development, and humanitarian organizations. Global...
Speaker Ahmed LEFGHIH
Ahmed LEFGHIH

Executive Director

Fonds Fiduciaire pour le Banc d’Arguin et la Biodiversité Côtière et Marine

Economist, public finance specialist, sustainable finance expert
Speaker Vian Sharif
Vian Sharif
Dr Vian Sharif brings two decades of experience in financial services, specialising in the intersection of nature, finance, and technology. She is the founder & President of NatureAlpha, an...
Speaker Fatima ABDULRAB ALI ALHEMEIRI
Fatima ABDULRAB ALI ALHEMEIRI
I work at the Environment Agency – Abu Dhabi in the outreach team, leading programs that connect communities with nature through education, technology, and citizen science. I manage initiatives such...
Speaker Wouala NGNIADO
Wouala NGNIADO

Coordonnateur projet Biodev 2030

WWF Cameroon

My name is Ngniado Wouala, I'm  Working for WWF Cameroon, where I'm  coordinating  Biodev 2030 project .with  more than thirty  years of experience working with   ...
Speaker Wendy ELIOTT
Wendy ELIOTT

Senior Director Wildlife, Biodiversity Practice

IUCN World Commission on Protected Areas 2021-2025

Wendy Elliott is the Senior Director, Wildlife at WWF-International, working primarily on strategic design and innovation across WWF’s global wildlife conservation portfolio. Wendy has worked at the...
Speaker Florence PALLA
Florence PALLA

Coordinatrice projet OFAC-CE/Appui OFAC

IUCN World Commission on Protected Areas 2021-2025

Regional Vice Chair, West and Central Africa. Coordinator of the regional project to support the Central African Forest Observatory with a focus on the observation of Protected Areas in synergy...
Speaker Kimsreng KONG
Kimsreng KONG

Director

Ministry of Environment

Kong KimsrengMr. Kong Kimsreng is a conservation leader with over 25 years of experience in biodiversity research, protected area management, and natural resources governance in Cambodia and the...
Speaker Nicholas MURRAY
Nicholas MURRAY

Associate Professor

James Cook University

Dr Nicholas Murray is Associate Professor in Global Ecology and Conservation at James Cook University. Nick's research focuses on delivering the science necessary to inform local-to-global scale...
Speaker Pierre-Luc BRIN
Pierre-Luc BRIN

Project Manager at the Register of Protected Areas

Gouvernement du Québec

Pierre-Luc Brin holds a bachelor's degree in biology specializing in conservation from Laval University. He has been a biologist at the MELCCFP since 2019 and currently acts as Registrar of protected...
Speaker Nabegh GHAZAL ASSWAD
Nabegh GHAZAL ASSWAD

Programs Manager / Senior Scientific & Technical Advisor

Syrian Society for the Conservation of Wildlife

Dr. Nabegh Ghazal Asswad had a PhD. in Wildlife Ecology and Management.  He works as a Programmes Manager at the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW) for the Middle East and North Africa...
Speaker Qiongyu HUANG
Qiongyu HUANG

Wildlife Biologist

Smithsonian's National Zoo Conservation Biology Institute

Qiongyu Huang, Ph.D., is the Roger and Molly Sit Giant Panda Biologist at the Smithsonian’s National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute. A spatial ecologist and physical geographer, he integrates...
Speaker Megan OWEN
Megan OWEN

Vice President of Conservation Science

San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance

Speaker Elvis LARA FLORES
Elvis LARA FLORES

Presidente Junta Directiva AESMO

Asociación Ecologica de San Marcos de Ocotepeque (AESMO)

Health professional with 33 years of experience in nursing and a strong commitment to the conservation of natural resources. For the past 10 years, I have collaborated in conservation efforts led by...
Speaker David Garrett
David Garrett

Chief Executive Officer

The Wilderness Project

As CEO of The Wilderness Project, David has led the expansion of river basin research and storytelling from the Okavango to other major Sub-Saharan African basins. He has also developed a continent-...
Speaker Shahnoor Abbas
Shahnoor Abbas

Senior Series Developer

BBC Studios

Syeda Shahnoor Abbas is a Series Developer at BBC StoryWorks Commercial Productions.During her time at BBC StoryWorks, she has led the development on multiple, human-centric, solutions-focused series...
Speaker Aysha AL HAMEDI
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...
Speaker Sadka SAENMI
Sadka SAENMI

Indigenous Expert

IPO

Mr. Sakda Saenmi is an Indigenous expert from Thailand with expertise in the areas of Indigenous Peoples and their relation to Climate Change and Biodiversity
Speaker Mark SCHAUER
Mark SCHAUER

Coordinator Resilient Landscapes

GIZ

Mark Schauer is the co-lead for the GIZ project Resilient Rural Areas and for the ELD Initiative. Mark has been with GIZ in different positions with activities in the context of economic valuation,...
Speaker Marcos VALDERRABANO HERRERO
Marcos VALDERRABANO HERRERO

Programme Manager – Red List of the Ecosystems

IUCN

Marcos Valderrábano is Programme Manager of the IUCN Red List of Ecosystems, based in Switzerland since 2020. He leads the Red List of Ecosystems programme implementation, fostering collaboration...
Speaker Michael EDMONDSTONE
Michael EDMONDSTONE

Communications and Engagement Lead

IUCN Species Survival Commission 2021-2025

Communications and Engagement Lead at SHOAL.Michael works to raise awareness about the freshwater biodiversity crisis and the conservation work being done to solve it, and to inspire about the world...
Speaker cora VAN OOSTEN
cora VAN OOSTEN

Director Capacity Development and Education

CIFOR-ICRAF

Dr. Cora van Oosten is a human geographer with over 30 years of international experience in Africa, Asia, Latin America, and Europe. As director of CIFOR-ICRAF’s Capacity Development and Education,...
Speaker Imad ALSYOUF
Imad ALSYOUF

Professor IEEM, Director of Sustainability (2017-2024)

University of Sharjah

Professor Imad Alsyouf holds a PhD in Industrial Engineering from Linnaeus University, Sweden (2004). He earned both his MSc in Industrial Engineering and his BSc in Mechanical Engineering from the...
Speaker Carlos Manuel RODRIGUEZ ECHANDI
Carlos Manuel RODRIGUEZ ECHANDI

CEO & Chairperson

Global Environment Facility

Lawyer by profession, politician by choice, and conservationist at heart, Carlos Manuel Rodríguez was elected as CEO and Chairperson of the Global Environment Facility by its governing body, the GEF...