All Speakers

Speaker Pedro MENEZES
Pedro MENEZES

National Director of Protected Areas

Ministry of the Environment and Climate Change

Pedro da Cunha e Menezes is Brazil´s National Director of Protected Areas. Pedo is one of the founding members of the Transcarioca Trail and is currently a Director of the Brazilian Trails Network.…
Speaker Ameera MOHAMMAD
Ameera MOHAMMAD

Instructor

UAEU

Dr. Ameera F. Mohammad is an Instructor in the Engineering Requirements Unit at the United Arab Emirates University (UAEU). She holds a dual Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering from UAEU and KU Leuven. Her…
Speaker Sonja LUZ
Sonja LUZ

CEO Mandai Nature

Mandai Nature Fund Ltd

Dr Sonja Luz is the CEO of Mandai Nature, a Singapore-based non-profit conservation organisation jointly set up by Temasek and Mandai Wildlife Group (MWG) which manages the city-state’s zoological…
Speaker Fehmi SANAA
Fehmi SANAA

Business Development Manager

CLS

Dynamic business development and sales leader with over 20 years of experience driving growth across the telecommunications, public safety, and environmental technology sectors. Skilled in forging…
Speaker Sonya BENJAMIN
Sonya BENJAMIN
I moved to the Middle East over a decade ago, when opportunities for actual biodiversity work were few. In 2020, a global and regional shift took place in which the importance of ecosystem…
Speaker Andréanne MARTEL
Andréanne MARTEL

Directrice principale du projet ReSea

Mission inclusion

Andréanne Martel is a passionate leader with over 15 years of experience managing complex partnerships in Canada and internationally. She is the Director of the ReSea project, an ambitious initiative…
Speaker Boripat Siriaroonrat
Boripat Siriaroonrat

Researcher

IUCN Species Survival Commission 2021-2025

Boripat received his veterinary degree from Chulalongkorn University in 1994 and Master of Science in Zoology in 1998. He has been interested in the wildlife research and conservation since he was a…
Ljubica TIPSAREVIC
Ljubica TIPSAREVIC
Speaker Alice MACHARIA
Alice MACHARIA

V.P. Africa Programs

The Jane Goodall Institute

Alice Macharia serves as the Vice President of Africa Programs for the Jane Goodall Institute, where she develops and implements JGI’s community-led conservation strategies. As part of the…
Speaker Clara L MATALLANA TOBON
Clara L MATALLANA TOBON

Ecóloga

IUCN World Commission on Protected Areas 2021-2025

I am an Ecologist with a Master’s Degree in Ecology, Evolution and Conservation. I currently work as a independent consultant on conservation and restoration projects. My work has focused on…
Speaker Marina KOSMUS
Marina KOSMUS

Head of Competence Centre Biodiversity, Forests and Agriculture

GIZ

Marina Kosmus is Head of the Competence Centre for Biodiversity, Forests, and Agriculture at GIZ HQ (German Agency for International Cooperation). She brings over 20 years of professional experience…
Speaker Francisco XANTÉ LOBOS
Francisco XANTÉ LOBOS

Director Ejecutivo

Asociación de Desarrollo Productivo y de Servicios TIKONEL

Kiche Maya Indigenous man, he holds a bachelor's degree in business administration and a master's degree in corporate administration. He is certified in the Diamond for Organizational Excellence…
Speaker Ahmad ALANAZI
Ahmad ALANAZI

General Manager, National Greening Program

National Center for Vegetation Cover

Professional Leader Holding MBA, with practical experience in environment, waste management, recycling, logistics, healthcare, and heavy metals. Strongly skilled in strategy planning, strategy…
Speaker Marina Antonopoulou
Marina Antonopoulou

Conservation Director

Emirates Nature-WWF

Speaker Dolf DEJONG
Dolf DEJONG

CEO

Toronto Zoo

Dolf DeJong is the Chief Executive Officer of the Toronto Zoo, where he has served since 2018. Under his leadership, the Zoo has advanced its mission of connecting people, animals, conservation…
Speaker Nicolas PILCHER
Nicolas PILCHER

Executive Director

Marine Research Foundation

Dr. Nicolas Pilcher has spent the last 35 years working on marine research and conservation projects throughout the Indo-Pacific. He is the Founder and Director of the Marine Research Foundation, a…
Speaker Mahmood Akhtar CHEEMA
Mahmood Akhtar CHEEMA

Country Representative, IUCN Pakistan

IUCN Pakistan

Education MSc. in Agriculture Extension from the Reading University, UK–(1993) BSc in Agri Engineering from the University of Faisalabad, Pakistan–(1986) Professional experience: Mr. Cheema has over…
Speaker Melanie SCHWEIKART
Melanie SCHWEIKART

Project Manager Biodiversity and Marine Conservation at the International Climat

Zukunft – Umwelt – Gesellschaft (ZUG) gGmbH

Melanie Schweikart has been working for 3 years in the International Climate Initiative (IKI), a funding programme for climate action and biodiversity conservation projects by the German Federal…
Speaker Andréanne BLAIS
Andréanne BLAIS

Directrice générale

Conseils régional de l'environnement du Centre-du-Québec

Andréanne Blais is a passionate biologist and an influential figure in the field of environmental protection in Quebec. She is the Executive Director of the Regional Environmental Council of Centre-…
Speaker Dhun DAVAR
Dhun DAVAR

Deputy CEO and Chief of Programs

AVPN

Dhun is Chief of Programmes and Deputy CEO. She leads AVPN’s Thematic Platforms (Climate, Gender, Health and Nutrition) and Capital Mobilisation functions providing strategic and operational…
Speaker Edwin ANDREWS
Edwin ANDREWS

Executive Deputy Mayor

City of Cape Town

Deputy Mayor Eddie Andrews of Cape Town is a dynamic and forward thinking leader, driven by a commitment to sustainable development and the betterment of all residents. With a wealth of experience in…
Speaker María José GONZáLEZ BERNAT
María José GONZáLEZ BERNAT

Director of the Oceans Program

AIDA

Maria Jose Gonzalez-Bernat is a biologist with over 16 years of experience and results in marine, coastal and estuarine ecosystem management and conservation.  She is originally from Guatemala…
Speaker Anthony GIORDANO
Anthony GIORDANO

Executive Director/Chief Conservation Scientist

S.P.E.C.I.E.S.

Only June 17th of 2025, Dr. Anthony J. Giordano, Executive Director of S.P.E.C.I.E.S. and affiliate faculty at the CSU’s Center for Human-Carnivore Coexistence and Center for Collaborative…
Speaker Mizuki MURAI
Mizuki MURAI

Senior Programme Coordinator World Heritage

IUCN

Mizuki joined IUCN in 2015 and oversees IUCN’s work on World Heritage. She is the deputy head of IUCN’s delegation at World Heritage Committee meetings, and is the contact point on World Heritage…
Speaker Chandni NAVALKHA
Chandni NAVALKHA

Director, Conservation and Stewardship

Lincoln Institute of Land Policy

Chandni Navalkha is Director of Conservation and Stewardship at the Lincoln Institute of Land Policy in Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA, where she leads initiatives that advance and accelerate the…
Speaker Meg BECKEL
Meg BECKEL

Founder

IUCN CEC Nature Communications

Margaret (Meg) Beckel is an accomplished leader in the education, post-secondary and arts & culture sectors. Her skills and experience include senior administration, fundraising, finance and…