All Speakers

Speaker Bruno Smets
Bruno Smets

Lead Natural Capital Accounting/Biodiversity

VITO

Bruno Smets is a senior environmental informatics specialised in spatiotemporal analysisof ecosystems at VITO. He is leading the Natural Capital Accounting and Biodiversity teamand shares this...
Speaker Yueming ZHAO
Yueming ZHAO

Director of the Nature Conservation Division

Changbaishan National Nature Reserve

Zhao Yueming holds a Master's degree in Plant Developmental Biology from Northeast Forestry University and is currently a Ph.D. in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology at Jilin University. Since 2016,...
Speaker FADI GHANEM
FADI GHANEM

President

GHADI

Fadi Ghanem is the founder and President of Ghadi Environmental Association, a Lebanese national organization dedicated to protecting the environment, preserving natural diversity and preventing...
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 Ony RAKOTOARISOA
Ony RAKOTOARISOA

Director General

Madagascar National Parks

Ony Rakotoarisoa has been the Director General of Madagascar National Parks since 2024. With over 28 years of experience in international cooperation, sustainable development, and environmental...
Speaker Peter DAVID FARRINGTON
Peter DAVID FARRINGTON

Principal Environmental Research Specialist

DUBAI Environment and Climate Change Authority

Peter is a Canadian international award-winning environmentalist, community advocate, painter and Certified Innovation Strategist who holds a BSc and MSc in the natural sciences.  Peter’s 40+...
Speaker Naoya FURUTA
Naoya FURUTA

Coordinator - IUCN Japan Liaison Office

IUCN

Before Nao Furuta was appointed as coordinator of IUCN Japan Liaison Office in July 2015, he has been working on global policy on biodiversity particularly on Convention on Biological Diversity...
Speaker Rhimou El Hamoumi
Rhimou El Hamoumi

Présidente

Groupe de Recherche pour la protection des oiseaux au Maroc (GREPOM)

I am a biodiversity conservation expert and researcher specializing in wetlands in Morocco. I conduct scientific research on avian biodiversity, habitat structure, and ecological interactions,...
Speaker JiHyun KANG
JiHyun KANG

Senior Researcher

National Institute of Ecology

I am a researcher at the National Institute of Ecology in Korea, specializing in geography education and geomorphology. My research focuses on riverine and coastal landforms, protected area...
Speaker Darlene UPTON
Darlene UPTON

VP, Protected Areas Establishment and Conservation

Parks Canada / Government of Canada

Darlene joined Parks Canada in 1996 holding a number of positions in three national parks and at executive levels in the Agency’s National Office. She has a Bachelor of Science, an Honours Bachelor...
Speaker Olivier LANGRAND
Olivier LANGRAND

Executive Director, Critical Ecosystem Partnership Fund

Critical Ecosystem Partnership Fund

For the past ten years, Olivier Langrand has been the executive director of the Critical Ecosystem Partnership Fund (CEPF), a multi-donor fund dedicated to protecting biodiversity hotspots through...
Speaker Eric TERENA
Eric TERENA

Indigenous artist and activist

Mídia Indígena

Eric Terena is an Indigenous artist and activist from the Pantanal (Mato Grosso do Sul) who uses music as a tool of resistance. In his project Origins, he combines ancestral chants with electronic...
Speaker Tia STEVENS
Tia STEVENS

Branch Head

Australian Government. Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water

Tia Stevens, Branch Head – Strategy and Indigenous Protected Areas Parks Australia – Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water (DCCEEW) Tia is an experienced Senior...
Speaker Jean-Mary TJIOHIMBA
Jean-Mary TJIOHIMBA

The SAN Vision Foundation (TSVF)

Jean-Mary Tjiohimba is an Indigenous human rights defender and advocate for the San people, renowned for her tireless work in defending the rights of Indigenous communities. She has spoken on global...
Speaker Marianela ARAYA
Marianela ARAYA

Program Officer Biodiversity and Health/Invasive Alien Species

Convention on Biological Diversity

Marianela is a biotechnology engineer, with a MSc on Biosafety in plant biotechnology.Marianela started her career working for the private sector in industrial biotechnology and wastewater treatment...
Speaker Abigail KITMA
Abigail KITMA

Indigenous Peoples Rights Focal Point

Tebtebba

Abigail Kitma is an Ibaloy hailing from Baguio City, Philippines. Her professional interests include Indigenous Peoples’ rights and environmental sustainability. She is affiliated with Tebtebba (...
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 Cedrick FOGWAN NGUEDIA
Cedrick FOGWAN NGUEDIA

Programme Manager

African Marine Conservation Organisation

Cedrick Fogwan is a Cameroonian marine biologist whose passion lies in building bridges between science, policy, and local knowledge to foster inclusive, long-term conservation outcomes that benefit...
Speaker Jong Soo YOON
Jong Soo YOON

Chair, IUCN Korea

Council 2021-2025

Chair of Korean national committee of IUCN(current). Former Vice Minister of Environment of Korea. Former Deputy Minister of Environment. Former Head of UN Office for Sustainable Development....
Speaker Ena Lucia Suarez BOLANOS
Ena Lucia Suarez BOLANOS

Project officer

IUCN

Speaker Harrison AJEBENNOKO
Harrison AJEBENNOKO

CEO

AJESH

Biodiversity and forest Conservation and Social Forester, Forest regeneration and restoration, Community Participatory Mapping and Land Use Planning, Livelihood development for communities, Zero...
Speaker Ji-Boo PARK
Ji-Boo PARK

30X30 Programme Advisor

IUCN

Jiboo Park is a Park ranger in Korea and  seconded from the Korea National Park Service (KNPS) to the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Headquarters in Gland, Switzerland....
Speaker Frances Camille RIVERA
Frances Camille RIVERA

Oceanus Conservation

Camille Rivera, Founder of Oceanus Conservation and a marine ecologist leading blue carbon restoration efforts across Philippines. She has protected over 400+ hectares of mangroves, engaged more than...
Speaker Akram EISSA DARWICH
Akram EISSA DARWICH

Regional Office Director

International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW)

Speaker Silvia MONTILLA CORTÉS
Silvia MONTILLA CORTÉS

CGO

UNERGY

Silvia Montilla, 29, is a Colombian changemaker driving access to solar renewable energy across underserved communities in Latin America. She develops inclusive, people-centered solutions such as...
Speaker Tekau FRERE
Tekau FRERE
Tekau Frere, a French Polynesian consultant, serves as the coordinator of the Marine Protected Areas working group of the High Seas Alliance, a network of over 70 international non governmental...
Speaker Padu FRANCO
Padu FRANCO

Senior Program Manager

Bezos Earth Fund

Evolutionary and conservation biologist with more than 20 years of experience designing, coordinating, and implementing basic and applied research studies and projects. Over 15 years of...
Speaker Anna ACKERMANN
Anna ACKERMANN

Policy analyst, Green reconstruction of Ukraine

International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD)

Anna Ackermann is a policy analyst at the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) working on green reconstruction of Ukraine. With a background in energy, environmental and climate...