All Speakers

Heba AHMED ABOUKHOUSA

Assistant Professor

Mohamed Bin Zayed University for Humanities

Assistant Professor, Sustainability Leader, and Environmental AdvocateDr. Heba Aboukhousa is an Assistant Professor at Mohamed Bin Zayed University for Humanities in the UAE, where she leads the…

Bo SANN

IUCN Secretariat

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…

Ada NATOLI

PhD

UAE Dolphin Project Initiative, Zayed University

Ada Natoli is assistant professor at Zayed University, founder and current director of the UAE Dolphin Project Initiative. Ada’s research focuses on whales and dolphins, species indicators of the…

ROWELY YEN PARICO

Executive Officer

IUCN World Commission on Protected Areas

Yen Parico is currently serving as the Temporary Executive Officer of the IUCN World Commission on Protected Areas (WCPA). A firm believer in the power of young people to shape a better future for…

Erin BILLMAN

Executive Director

Science Based Targets Network

Erin Billman is the Executive Director of the Science Based Targets Network (SBTN), part of the Global Commons Alliance. She has over 20 years of experience in the private and non-profit sectors. She…

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…

Swetha STOTRA BHASHYAM

Youth Affiliate

IUCN Commission on Education and Communication 2021-2025

Chair - IUCN CEESP Young Professional Swetha Stotra Bhashyam is the Global South Focal Point of the Global Youth Biodiversity Network (GYBN). GYBN is a youth network of more than 1 million members…

HESTER GROENEWALD

Senior Associate

PeaceNexus Foundation

Hesta Groenewald is a Senior Associate with the PeaceNexus Foundation, where she supports conservation and climate-focused organisations to integrate conflict sensitivity into their work. She…

Karen ALLEN

Professor

Furman University

Karen E. Allen is a cultural anthropologist who has integrative training across disciplines relevant to conservation and sustainability science, in particular, ecological economics and landscape…

Beatriz BARROS AYDOS

IUCN Secretariat

Biologist specialized in Protected Natural Areas (Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, 2019). Currently Program Officer for Brazil at the International Union for Conservation of Nature – South America (…

Joyce Nyaruai MBATARU

Communication Manager

Kenya Wildlife Conservancies Association

Joyce Mbataru is a communication for development specialist with over 15 years of experience in community-led conservation, gender, youth, and media development in Kenya. She serves as the…

Jessica SWEIDAN

Trustee

Synchronicity Earth

Jessica Sweidan has been engaged in global philanthropy since she graduated from Northwestern University (USA) in 1993 alongside her husband Adam. In 2009, they launched Synchronicity Earth, a UK-…

Hind AL AMERI

Acting Section Head Marine Biodiversity Assessment & Conservation

IUCN Species Survival Commission 2021-2025

Dr. Hind Al Ameri is a marine conservation scientist and has joined the Environment Agency – Abu Dhabi (EAD) in 2014. Dr. Al Ameri has a PhD in Biological Sciences from the University of Exeter and…

Takao AIBA

Chair of Planning Sub-comittee

Keidanren Nature Conservation Council

Contact point and account manager Toyota in Japan, liaising with our Japan office

Mamadou DIOP

Green List Project Officer

IUCN Secretariat

Mamadou is a specialist in protected area management, having successfully completed several training courses and diplomas. He has benefited from IUCN scholarships on several occasions since the DU…

N. MANIKA

Senior Manager -sustainable landscapes

IORA Ecological

Conservation ecologist with 14 years of demonstrated expertise in biodiversity conservation, ecosystem restoration, and climate change mitigation across diverse institutional landscapes. My career…

Sirarpi HAYKAZYAN

Head of Environmental Department of Yerevan Municipality

Yerevan Municipality

Born on June 19, 1984, in Yerevan.In 2006, he graduated from the Faculty of Law of the French University.In 2008, he graduated from the Faculty of Political Science of the International Scientific…

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…

Amr ABDELMEGUID

Programme Manager

CEDARE

Melissa LEACH

Executive Director

Cambridge Conservation Initiative

Melissa Leach is Executive Director of the Cambridge Conservation initiative (CCI), a collaboration between ten world-leading nature and biodiversity organisations with the University of Cambridge,…

Kerry MAX

Deputy director, Partnering for Climate

Global Affairs Canada

Kerry has over thirty years of experience in international development practice including policy, programming and research, focused on climate change adaptation and addressing drivers of biodiversity…

Kundan Kumar BURNWAL

Deputy Project Director

GIZ India

Kundan Burnwal is a Senior Advisor and Deputy Project Director for the Indo-German bilateral cooperation project RECAP4NDC, which aims to restore, conserve, and protect forest and tree…

Jonnie HUGHES

Co-Founder and Director

Open Planet

I am Co-Founder and Director of Open Planet Studios (an impact producer in the environmental space), Sixth Wave Productions (a factual TV and film indie) and Open Planet (an open-source premium…

Sean SOUTHEY

CEO

Canadian Wildlife Federation / IUCN CEC

CEO, Canadian Wildlife Federation; Chair, IUCN Commission on Education and Communication (CEC)Sean Southey has over 30 years of experience in the international development and communications field.…

Ahmed SALEH AMAN

Unit Head - Infrastructure and Development Inspection

Environment Agency

began my professional journey over ten years ago as an Inspector at the Environment Agency – Abu Dhabi (EAD), where I conducted more than 1,000 field visits covering all industrial and development…

Suk-Kyung SHIM

Chair of Education and Communication Committee

IUCN National Committee of Korea

Dr. Suk-Kyung Shim is the Director of the Institute for Human and Nature. She has extensive experience in policy…

Émilie LE BEUZE

Senior Advisor, Senior Advisor, Engagement for Sustainable Finance & Biodiversit

Finance Montréal

I work at the intersection of sustainable finance and biodiversity, mobilizing the financial sector around biodiversity and NbS (sustainable and responsible solutions). I believe finance can and…