All Speakers

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…

SAMI ALMALKI

Habitat Regeneration & Landscaping Director (Acting)

Royal Commission for AlUla

Sami AlMalki is a passionate environmental leader specializing in ecosystem restoration, afforestation, and native plant conservation. leading Habitat Regeneration & Landscaping at the…

Sudhansu Sekhar DASH

Scientist F ( Senior Scientist )

Botanical Survey of India

Dr. Sudhansu Sekhar Dash, M.Sc, M.Phil, Ph.D presently working as Scientist F (Additional Director and the Head of Technical Division) in Botanical Survey of India. He is also Adjunct Faculty Member…

Obaid Ali Humaid Al Shamsi

Head of Marine Biodiversity Section

Ministry of Climate Change and Environment

Obaid Alshamsi is Head of the Marine Biodiversity Section at the UAE Ministry of Climate Change and Environment. He specializes in ecology and environmental biology, with a focus on biodiversity…

Jennifer OLEGERIIL

Minister for Justice

Ministry of Justice

Jennifer S. OlegeriilMinister of JusticeMinistry of JusticeRepublic of PalauBiographyJennifer S. Olegeriil was sworn into office to hold the post of Minister of Justice on 19 May 2025under the…

Charlotte SMITH

Conservation Education Director

Chester Zoo (North of England Zoological Society)

Charlotte has extensive experience in conservation and nature based education, behaviour change and community engagement. As Director of Conservation Education she is responsible for the Chester Zoo'…

Liubov TIMOFEEVA

Nature-based Solutions Project Officer

IUCN - Regional Office for Eastern Europe and Central Asia

Liubov Timofeeva serves as a Nature-based Solutions Project Officer at the Regional Office for Eastern Europe and Central Asia, which she joined in 2023. Her primary focus is on NbS projects for…

Lara OCALLAGHAN

GCELS Staff Student Intern

Center for Environmental Legal Studies

Lara O'Callaghan is a J.D. candidate at the Elisabeth Haub School of Law at Pace University, where she is actively involved with the Global Center for Environmental Legal Studies. Her studies focus…

Vivian Silole KAUNGA

Binbin LI

Professor

IUCN Species Survival Commission 2021-2025

Dr. Binbin Li is the Associate Professor of Environmental Sciences at the Environmental Research Center at Duke Kunshan University. She holds a secondary appointment with the Nicholas School of the…

Puyr TEMBE

Co-founder

FEPIPA and ANMIGA

Puyr Tembé is a leader and the first indigenous woman to head a state secretariat in Pará, connecting the experience of territories threatened by deforestation with international coordination for the…

M. Purificació CANALS

Global Network of MPA Manager Networks- Coordinator

Global Network of MPA Manager Networks/Underwater Gardens International

Purificació Canals has a BSc and a PhD in Biological Sciences from Barcelona University (1986 and 1996). She works as international consultant on marine and coastal conservation and is the…

Hari Krishna NIBANUPUDI

Senior Climate Emergencies Expert

IUCN Climate Crisis Commission 2022-2025

Hari Krishna Nibanupudi is an international expert on climate change, humanitarian response, and sustainability with over two decades of leadership across Asia, Africa, and beyond. He currently…

Pianporn DEETES

Pianporn (Pai) Deetes is the Executive Director of the Rivers and Rights Foundation, a Thailand-based organization advancing environmental justice, community empowerment, and river protection across…

Tamer KHAFAGA

Research & Natural Resources Management Director

King Salman Bin Abdulaziz Royal Reserve Development Authority

My work and study are focused on conservation biology and sustainable use of natural resources. While working with the Egyptian Environmental Affairs Agency as Conservation Botanist in the St.…

MARK JONES

Head of Policy

Born Free Foundation

Mark joined Born Free in October 2014 to work on international wildlife trade and wildlife management issues. A vet by training, Mark worked for many years on fish health and protection, before…

Fatima ALSANADI

Naomie KAYITESI MANISHIMWE

Programme Officer, NbS Programme

IUCN

Naomie Kayitesi M. is a civil engineer with a master’s degree in water engineering. She is currently a PhD candidate at the University of Lausanne, Switzerland, where her research focuses on the…

Karen HULME

Professor

University of Essex

Karen Hulme is a professor of law at the University of Essex, UK, and researches on issues related to the protection of the environment during crises, notably during armed conflict and post conflict…

Mahmoud MOHIELDIN

UN Special Envoy on Financing Sustainable Development

United Nations

Mahmoud Mohieldin is a global economist and the UN Special Envoy on Financing Sustainable Development, with over 30 years of experience in international finance and development. He co-leads the UN…

Yves OLATOUNDJI

Programme Officer - IUCN Green List

IUCN

With a strong academic background in biodiversity conservation and over eight years of experience in protected and conserved areas management, Yves Olatoundji has a solid track record in ecological…

Noel OETTLE

Network Coordinator

Indigo development & change

Noel Oettlé holds a Post Graduate Diploma in Agricultural Development from the University of London. He worked as an organic farmer before serving for 8 years as the founding Director of the Farmer…

Hilde EGGERMONT

AG INBO / IUCN Vice President

Instituut voor Natuur- en Bosonderzoek

www.linkedin.com/in/hildeeggermontHilde Eggermont is a freshwater biologist (PhD, Ghent University) and currently serves as General Administrator of the Research Institute for Nature and Forest (INBO…

Gobind Sagar BHARDWAJ

Director

Wildlife Institute of India

Dr Gobind Sagar Bhardwaj joined Indian Forest Service in 1994. He has done his Ph.D. from the University of Rajasthan on the topic entitled “Plant Resource Utilization by the avian fauna in Sitamata…

Dung Xuan Nguyen

Head of Division of Ecology and Natural Landscape/NBCA/MAE

Ministry of Agriculture and Environment

Maria HERNANDEZ

Nouf AlQadi

Nouf AlQadi is an environmental consultant and PhD researcher in Ecology and Environmental Science whose work bridges applied research and conservation practice. Her doctoral research focuses on…

Oumou DICKO

President

Association des Jeunes pour La Défense des Droits Humains et la Protection de l’Environnement

Ms. Oumou Dicko is a young Malian leader committed to human rights advocacy and environmental protection. As President of AJDHPE, she works to promote education, youth and women’s empowerment,…