All Speakers

Britta HACKENBERG

Senior Technical Associate

Namibia Nature Foundation

I am a passionate female conservationist with a Master’s degree in Sustainable Forestry and Land Use Management, an Engineer degree in Landscape Design and 18 years’ work experience in the field of…

Richard CUTHBERT

Director of Conservation

World Land Trust

I have worked in international biodiversity conservation for over 25 years, undertaking conservation research and implementing projects on a wide range of species, issues, habitats and countries.…

Timon MCPHEARSON

Director and Professor

New York University

Dr. Timon McPhearson is the founding director of the Urban Systems Lab, professor at NYU Environmental Studies, and author of Nature-based Solutions for Cities. Drawing on his mixed Native…

Karen PODVIN

IUCN Secretariat

Karen is Ecuadorian; she has a BSc in Applied Ecology from the Universidad San Francisco de Quito (2007); a Specialization in Climate Change from the Simón Bolívar Andean University (2011); and an…

Lucas JOPPA

Dickson Kaelo

Chief Executive Officer

Kenya Wildlife Conservancies Association

Dickson Ole Kaelo is a conservation ecologist and the founding Chief Executive Officer of the Kenya Wildlife Conservancies Association (KWCA). With over 20 years of experience, he has championed…

Mahra SAEED ALREMEITHI

UAEU

Mahra is an aspiring professional with experience in sustainability, women’s empowerment, and employability development. She has participated in programs such as the Nomu Al Ghurair Women Empowerment…

Sushil RAJ

Executive Director, Rights and Communities

Wildlife Conservation Society

Sushil Raj is the Executive Director of the Rights and Communities Global Program at WCS, a board member and mediator with the New York Peace Institute, and former member of the Working Group of…

Julia SILVA BENETI

Red List Assessor

Senckenberg Gesellschaft für Naturforschung

I have a PhD in Zoology from the University of Sao Paulo, Brazil, and my work was originally focused on the taxonomy and systematics of a group of sea anemones. I have also worked as an editor of…

Kedar Girish GORE

Director

The Corbett Foundation

Kedar Gore has been actively engaged in wildlife conservation and environmental protection work for over two decades. A passionate bird-watcher since the age of 10, Kedar was drawn into the full-time…

Bushra HUSSEIN AL JABERI

Sustainability Analyst

University of Sharjah

AIITA JOSHUA APAMAKU

Conservation Associate

WILD Foundation

Aiita is a Wildlife Biologist and National Geographic Explorer from Uganda, passionate about protected areas and how they're managed and governed. He holds an MSc. in Biodiversity, Conservation…

Antonis ANTONIOU LATOUROS

President

Aggregates Europe

Antonis Antoniou Latouros is President of Aggregates Europe, having been re-elected in 2024 as the first person to serve a second consecutive term since the association’s establishment in 1987.…

Santiago RUGERONI

Animal Care Supervisor - Birds

Al Ain Zoo

Santiago Rugeroni is the Animal Care Supervisor for the bird collection at Al Ain Zoo, overseeing avian welfare, enrichment, and habitat design. With over 14 years of zoo experience from Buenos Aires…

Aileen LEE

Chief of Programs

Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation

Aileen is the chief of programs for the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation. She oversees all grantmaking activity, including all program allocations and Adaptive Management and Evaluation.Prior to…

Laurel MCIVOR

Program Advisor, Conservation Strategy Branch

Parks Canada

Laurel McIvor works for the Parks Canada Conservation Strategy Branch as a Policy & Program Advisor for Intergovernmental Collaborations team. She liaises and collaborates with Canadian and…

Coralie PALMER

Marine Conservation Coordinator

Global Center for Species Survival, Indianapolis Zoological Society; IUCN

Coralie is the Marine Conservation Coordinator at the IUCN Species Survival Commission (SSC) Global Center for Species Survival, a partnership with the Indianapolis Zoological Society, supporting all…

Johannes ELS

Operations Manager

IUCN Species Survival Commission 2021-2025

Johannes Els is a herpetologist specialising in Arabian reptiles and amphibians with a strong focus on conservation. He is Operations Manager of the Arabia’s Wildlife Centre and regional chair of the…

Fiona WILTON

Sacred Lands and Waters

The Gaia Foundation

+30 years experience in the non-profit sector, in South America and globally, working on a range of conservation and environment issues; accompanying indigenous communities in reviving bio-cultural…

Imad ALSYOUF

Professor IEEM, Director of Sustainability (2017-2024)

University of Sharjah

Professor Imad Alsyouf holds a PhD in Industrial Engineering from Linnaeus University, Sweden (2004). He earned both his MSc in Industrial Engineering and his BSc in Mechanical Engineering from the…

Basile VAN HAVRE

Research Associate

Université du Québec en Outaouais

Basile van Havre is an expert in biodiversity and multilateral negotiations. He is senior advisor at IDDRI, a research Associate at UQO, a member of Ouranos Scientific advisory Committee and of the…

Rosalind HELFAND

Environmental and Social Policy Advisor

California Global Biodiversity Alliance

Rosalind Helfand, based in Los Angeles, California, is an expert in environmental policies and programs. Rosalind is the Co-founder of the California Global Biodiversity Alliance (CalGBA), which…

Shaimaa ZAGHLOUL

General Manger-Nature Conservation Sector

Egyptian Environmental Affairs Agency

Dr. Shaimaa is a nationally recognized specialist in the management of Protected areas and a biodiversity conservationist , and has been employed in the nature conservation sector for seventeen…

Yueming ZHAO

Director of the Nature Conservation Division

Changbaishan National Nature Reserve

Zhao Yueming holds a Master's degree in Plant Developmental Biology from Northeast Forestry University and is currently a Ph.D. in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology at Jilin University. Since 2016,…

Katherine HEINEMAN

Program Officer

San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance, IUCN SSC Center for Species Survival Biodiversity Banking

I am originally from the midwestern United States with degrees from the University of Nebraska and a doctorate in Ecology, Evolution, and Conservation Biology from University of Illinois-Urbana. For…

Salwa AL MAFLAHI

Maja VASILIJEVIC

Senior Advisor

Norwegian Institute for Nature Research (NINA)

Maja Vasilijević is a Senior Advisor at the Norwegian Institute for Nature Research (NINA), where she works on European projects with a strong focus on the science-policy interface under the…

Oscar NZABONIMPA

Executive Director

Action pour la Protection de l'Environnement et la Promotion des Filières Agricoles