All Speakers

Michail KAPETANAKIS

Policy Advisor, Sustainable Infrastructure

IISD

Michail Kapetanakis is a Policy Advisor in Sustainable Infrastructure at IISD. He has over 6 years of cross-sectoral experience in sustainability consulting and economic analysis for transport, urban…

Nathan BENNETT

Global Ocean Lead Scientist & Chair of the People and the Ocean Specialist Group

WWF & IUCN CEESP

Dr. Nathan Bennett (nathanbennett.ca) is the Global Oceans Lead Scientist at WWF, and has previously worked for various non-governmental, academic, and philanthropic organizations. He has published…

Sana TAKTAK

Présidente

ACG

Sana Taktak Keskes has been working in Occupational health since 1997. She is in charge of health, hygiene, safety, and environment in a Petroleum company. She is a professional Trainer in…

Zoë ZÜRN

Junior Conservation Officer

IUCN European Representative Office

Zoë Zürn joined the IUCN European Regional Office in 2023 and now works as a junior conservation officer as part of the European natural resources unit, focussing on policy and programme within…

Megan LAFFERTY

Manager, Land Protection Measures

Nature Conservancy of Canada

Megan is an entrepreneurial leader in area-based conservation with 12+ years of experience in the field. She enjoys creative problem solving, building diverse relationships, and working in…

Alifireti TAWAKE

Executive Director

LMMA Network International Trust

Alifereti Tawake, an Indigenous Fijian leader, is the Executive Director and co-founder of the LMMA Network International Trust. For over two decades, he has pioneered LMMAs, community-based…

Demba MARICO

Coordonnateur de Programme E2SL

Partenariat Régional pour la Conservation des zones côtières

Katie Lee RIDDLE

Aotearoa Indigenous Rights Trust

KatieLee (Rongowhakaata), specialises in Māori and Indigenous Intellectual Property, Digital Sequence Information (DSI), use of genetic resources, benefit sharing and Indigenous Data Sovereignty…

Roland Melisch

Sector Economist Biodiversity

KfW Development Bank

Roland MelischBiodiversity Sector EconomistKfW Development Bank© Roland MelischShort Bio Roland MelischRoland has been working at the 'Biodiversity and Natural Resources Competence Centre' within the…

Anastasiia Drapaliuk

expert on PAs

Ukrainian Nature Conservation Group

EDUCATION: 2009 – 2011 University of Klagenfurt, Austria, Master of Science in Management of Protected Areas, 1993 – 1998 West Ukrainian National University, Ukraine, Master of Science in Accounting…

Neema PATHAK BROOME

International Policy Coordinator

ICCA Consortium

Neema Pathak Broome, was born in a small Himalayan village community in India and currently lives in and manages her family-owned urban farm forest in Pune in India. She has studied environmental…

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…

Eric SCHMIDT

Executive Director

Wildlife Protection Solutions

Combining a deep understanding of technology with a passion for wildlife allows Eric Schmidt to approach conservation issues from multiple perspectives. With a Master’s degree in conservation…

Stephen MILLINGTON

Senior Advisor

IUCN Commission on Ecosystem Management 2021-2025

Spike Millington has been Vice President and Director of Asia Programs for the International Crane Foundation. Prior to that he was Chief Executive of the East Asian – Australasian Flyway Partnership…

Ola MALLAH

Membership & Regional Director Office Manager

IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature)

Ola Mallah is a seasoned administrative professional with over two decades of experience in membership management, office management, and event planning. Currently serving as the Membership &…

Tafita Tsitohaina RANDRIANARISON

Student

Centre for Global Education

Student,

Erin McCreless

Director, Science and Monitoring

Rainforest Trust

Dr. Erin McCreless is a conservation scientist with 20 years of experience working on the biological and socioeconomic aspects of biodiversity conservation. At Rainforest Trust she leads the Science…

Taras BAINS

Junior Professional- World Heritage

International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN)

Taras is a young conservation professional with experience across natural world heritage, conservation communications, environmental education and protected areas/community-based conservation. He…

Babafemi OYEWOLE

CEO

Panafrican Farmers Organisation

Babafemi Oyewole, PAFO CEO.Babafemi is the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Panafrican Farmers Organisation (PAFO). In this role, Babafemi leads an organisation that represents over 80 million…

Caitlin BRANT

IUCN Commission on Education and Communication 2021-2025

Akram EISSA DARWICH

Regional Office Director

International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW)

Sung-Ryong KANG

Team Leader

National Institute of Ecology

I am a researcher working at the National Institute of Ecology in the Republic of Korea. I am currently conducting assessments for the detailed target indicators of the Republic of Korea's 5th…

Yana GEVORGYAN

Director of Secretariat

Group on Earth Observations

Yana is a visionary leader with a unique global perspective, adept at strategic change, and a systems thinker. With over 25 years of experience spanning public, private and intergovernmental sectors…

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…

Gianna MINTON

Consultant

IUCN SSC Cetacean Specialist Group

Gianna Minton started her career in the field of education, but became so inspired by Oman’s marine environment during her 8 years there, that she started a new career in marine mammal research and…

Christopher GOATLEY

Lecturer in Marine Biology

University of Southampton

Chris Goatley is a lecturer in marine biology at the University of Southampton in the UK and a research associate at the Australian Museum. His research has broadly explored the evolution and…

Fiona SACH

Conservation Impact Manager

Zoological Society of London

Fiona Sach works for the Zoological Society of London (ZSL), driving recovery for Extinct in the Wild species, through the newly formed IUCN SSC Extinct in the Wild Action Partnership. Fiona has…

Fanny CORNEJO

Executive Director

Yunkawasi

Fanny M. Cornejo is a Peruvian conservation biologist and anthropologist with over 18 years of experience in biodiversity research, protected area governance, and community-based conservation in the…