All Speakers

Speaker Hessa AL-QAHTANI
Hessa AL-QAHTANI

Conservation Programs Unit Head

Al Ain Zoo

Working as Conservation Programs Unit Head
Speaker Jochen RENGER
Jochen RENGER

Director

GIZ

Jochen RengerDeutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbHDirector of the Climate Change, Rural Development, Infrastructure DivisionJochen Renger is Director of the Climate…
Speaker Vivian EJEZIE
Vivian EJEZIE

Communications Assistant, MCSU

IUCN Secretariat

Vivian is an analytical communications professional with expertise in developing and designing initiatives tailored to diverse audiences. She holds a Master’s degree in International Politics from…
Speaker Vasanti RAO
Vasanti RAO

Director General

Centre for Media Studies (CMS)

Nature Education for Sustainability Co-Chair & South and Southeastern Asia Regional Vice ChairDr (Ms) Vasanti Rao is the Director General of CMS (Centre for Media Studies) - a research based…
Speaker Candice STEVENS
Candice STEVENS

Founder and CEO: Sustainable Finance Coalition

Sustainable Finance Coalition

Candice Stevens leads the Sustainable Finance Coalition and is Co-Chair of the IUCN WCPA Sustainable Finance Specialist Group. Candice is a visionary in green finance and sustainable solutions and…
Speaker Shamsa AL HAMELI
Shamsa AL HAMELI

Environment Agency Abu Dhabi

Shamsa Al Hameli, PhD researcher and Specialist in Marine Vessel Management at the Environment Agency – Abu Dhabi, focusing on the biodiversity and conservation of sharks and rays in the Arabian Gulf.
Speaker Caroline KATSANDE
Caroline KATSANDE

Regional Manager

Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Management Authority

Born and raised in Zimbabwe, Caroline Katsande is a dedicated conservation professional with more than twenty years of experience in wildlife management, habitat restoration, community and…
Speaker ANDREA CASTILLO
ANDREA CASTILLO

Global Gender Analyst LAR

The Nature Conservancy

Speaker Heloise HEYER
Heloise HEYER

Conflict Sensitivity Lead

PeaceNexus Foundation

Heloise Heyer brings over 15 years of experience at the intersection of peacebuilding, international cooperation, and organisational development. She works with civil society, governments, and…
Speaker Anurag MOHANTY
Anurag MOHANTY

Senior Engineer

EGA

B.Tech in Mechanical Engineering with over 18 years of experience in maintenance planning, plant maintenance (preventive and reactive), and operation readiness. Expertise includes plant maintenance,…
Speaker Shakir ALI
Shakir ALI

Student

Beijing Forestry University

Shakir Ali is a postgraduate student at Beijing Forestry University, specializing in wildlife tourism and conservation psychology. Hailing from Skardu, Gilgit-Baltistan, Pakistan, he is deeply…
Speaker Charles DOUMENGE
Charles DOUMENGE

Researcher

CIRAD

Trained in botany and tropical forest ecology at the University of Montpellier (France), I have been a researcher at CIRAD since 1999. I began my career in 1983 as manager of the Ipassa-Makokou…
Speaker Jacinta ABALAKA
Jacinta ABALAKA

National Programme Coordinator

Society for Sustainability and Conservation Education for Rural Areas (SCERA)

Jacinta Abalaka is a conservation biologist with over 20 years experience in capacity building in conservation and ecology, and 10 years experience in grant and resource management. She has worked…
Speaker Vivek MENON
Vivek MENON

IUCN Councilor and Executive Director

Wildlife Trust of India

Vivek Menon is a leading Indian wildlife conservationist, environmental commentator, author, photographer and policy think tank with a passion for elephants. Founder of five environmental and nature…
Speaker Orsibal Eliú RAMÌREZ CARDONA
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…
Speaker Rahayu OKTAVIANI
Rahayu OKTAVIANI

Co-vice chair/Director

IUCN SSC Primate Specialist Group - Section on Small Apes/KIARA

Rahayu Oktaviani is the Co-Vice Chair of the IUCN SSC Primate Specialist Group - Section on Small Apes and the Co-Founder and Director of Yayasan Konservasi Ekosistem Alam Nusantara (KIARA), an…
Speaker Genny NGENDE
Genny NGENDE

Africa Program Senior Campaign Coordinator

International Rivers

Genny serves as the Senior Campaign Coordinator for the Africa Program at International Rivers. In this role, she collaborates with partners and communities in Namibia, Guinea Conakry, and the…
Speaker Omaima AHMED
Omaima AHMED

Education and CSR Senior Manager

Goumbook FZCO

Speaker Jenn Eckerle
Jenn Eckerle
Jenn is the Deputy Secretary for Oceans and Coastal Policy at the California Natural Resources Agency and Executive Director of the Ocean Protection Council (OPC).  Jenn serves as a key advisor…
Speaker Tania AMMOUR
Tania AMMOUR

Member of 20y SV Team; Senior Advisor ORMACC RD

IUCN

Tania has an extensive experience in the design, implementation, technical assistance, monitoring and evaluation of projects and programmes in Latin America and the Caribbean as well as in other…
Speaker Anouj MEHTA
Anouj MEHTA

Country Director ADB Thailand

ADB

Anouj Mehta Country Director, Thailand Resident Mission (TRM) , Asian Development BankAnouj leads ADB’s Thailand Resident Mission based in Bangkok, encompassing both public and private sector…
Speaker Caroline KERICHU
Caroline KERICHU

Landscape Restoration Coordinator

Justdiggit

"Caroline Kerichu is a conservation and restoration specialist with over a decade of experience in biodiversity conservation, forest and rangeland landscape restoration, and climate-smart agriculture…
Speaker Aurélie SPADONE
Aurélie SPADONE

Senior Programme Manager, Ocean Governance

IUCN - International Union for Conservation of Nature

Aurélie studied oceanography in France from 2000 to 2009. She spent two years in Bordeaux (University of Bordeaux I), three in Marseille (University of the Mediterranean Sea) and four in Paris where…
Speaker Hori Orlando Salanic Xec
Hori Orlando Salanic Xec

Licenciado en Trabajo Social

Asociación SINERGIAS

Hori Orlando Salanic Xec, Guatemalan, K'iche Maya indigenous people. I have a degree in Social Work. For the past 15 years, I have worked for territorial development for Indigenous peoples and local…
Speaker Boyoung KANG
Boyoung KANG

Director

Ministry of Environment, Republic of Korea

Speaker Abdelmenam MOHAMED
Abdelmenam MOHAMED

Head, Dugong MOU Secretariat

CMS Office Abu Dhabi

Dr. Abdelmenam Mohamed is the Coordinator of the CMS Dugong MoU Secretariat in Abu Dhabi, leading efforts to advance the conservation and sustainable management of dugongs and their…
Speaker Shaemma MEBWANA
Shaemma MEBWANA

Marine Biodiversity Specialist

Ministry of Climate Change and Environment

Shaemma Rashed Mebwana is a passionate Marine Biodiversity Specialist and sustainability advocate, driven by a mission to bridge science, policy, diplomacy, and community action. With over four years…