All Speakers

Pippa HOWARD

Chief Nature Strategist

NatureMetrics Limited

Pippa Howard is Chief Nature Strategist at NatureMetrics. Pippa has degrees in Environmental Science, Marine Biology, Zoology and International Development. She is a registered Professional Natural…

Catherine BRYAN

Co-Chair

Synchronicity Earth

Catherine uses her experience in organisational development, markets and risk, alongside her fascination with the natural world to support a wide range of work that promotes the protection and…

Lena SEEBALD

Programme Associate-Knowledge Management and Tech4Nature

IUCN Secretariat

Akram EISSA DARWICH

Regional Office Director

International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW)

Valeria ZAPATA GIRALDO

PhD Researcher

Autonomous University of Barcelona

Valeria is from Colombia, and is a PhD researcher at the Institute of Environmental Science and Technology - ICTA-UAB (Barcelona, Spain) on the Conservation Data Justice project. Her research…

Joseph KIESECKER

Lead Scientist

The Nature Conservancy

Joseph Kiesecker is Lead Scientist for The Nature Conservancy, the world’s largest environmental organization. He is a recognized scientific leader in energy siting and mitigation and his work has…

Sara AL MABRUK

General Director

Marine biology in Libya Society

Marine biologist and biodiversity conservation researcher with extensive expertise in Mediterranean marine ecosystems, particularly focused on endangered species conservation and biodiversity…

Bas VERSCHUUREN

Research and Conservation

IUCN Commission on Environmental, Economic, and Social Policy 2021-2025

I do research on conservation and rural development issues in protected areas, World Heritage sites and the wider land and seascape. I link practical conservation experience with applied scientific…

Steven DICKINSON

Company Biodiversity Expert

IUCN Commission on Ecosystem Management 2021-2025

Steven Dickinson is the Corporate Biodiversity Expert at TotalEnergies, a global energy company active in 130 countries. He leads the company’s biodiversity program, overseeing policy, tools,…

Yuuko IIZUKA

Executive Officer, Deputy Head of Corporate Division, Head of Sustainability

Sumitomo Forestry Co., Ltd.

Yuuko Iizuka is executive officer, deputy head of Corporate Division of Sumitomo Forestry Co., Ltd. as of January 2025, where she oversees the Sustainability Department as general manager since 2015…

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…

Simon JULIEN

Programme Officer - Food and Agricultural Systems

IUCN Secretariat

Simon Julien coordinates the development of knowledge products, metrics, tools and frameworks relating to sustainable agriculture, and designs accompanying capacity-building activities. This includes…

Andrew WETZLER

Senior Vice President, Nature Program

Natural Resources Defense Council, Inc.

As senior vice president of NRDC's Nature Program, Andrew Wetzler oversees NRDC's oceans, lands, and food and agriculture teams, and is responsible for providing thought leadership, shaping strategy…

Vinay SINGH

Regional NbS Coordinator

IUCN

Vinay Singh is the Regional Nature-Based Solutions Programme Coordinator within the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Pacific Office. He is currently leading several projects on…

Thomas Schoos

José Rafael FERRER-PARIS

Senior Lecturer

University of New South Wales, Sydney

I am a Research Fellow at the Centre for Ecosystem Science in the University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia. I am member of the IUCN Commission on Ecosystem Management, in which I contribute…

Andrew RUDD

Programme Management Officer

UN-Habitat

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…

Sun Ju Kim

Team Manager, Jeju

Jeju Special Self-Governing Province

Ms. Sunju Kim is currently serving as the Team Leader of the Climate and Environmental Cooperation Team at the Environmental Policy Division of Jeju Special Self-Governing Province, Republic of Korea…

Neovitus SIANGA

Director of Community Conservation and Environment

Tanzania People & Wildlife

Neovitus is an esteemed Director of Community Conservation and Environment for African People & Wildlife, known for his unwavering commitment to preserving our natural world and empowering local…

Georges IBRAHIM

VP of Ecosystem Services

Nabat

Georges brings 18+ years of experience leading transformative environmental and technology initiatives across the UAE and MENA region. He has a track record in building capabilities for large-scale…

Ken FITZGERALD

Ken FitzGerald has over 30 years of international marine experience, including broad engineering and design expertise, extensive field survey work, and offshore operations. He supports the firm’s…

Marcos VALDERRABANO HERRERO

Programme Manager – Red List of the Ecosystems

IUCN

Marcos Valderrábano is Programme Manager of the IUCN Red List of Ecosystems, based in Switzerland since 2020. He leads the Red List of Ecosystems programme implementation, fostering collaboration…

Jimmy GAUNAVOU

Ministry of Environment and Climate Change

Jimmy Clint Gaunavou is a seasoned expert in environmental science, health, safety, and sustainability, with a strong focus on multilateral environmental agreements, regulatory compliance, and…

Pedro LIRA

Natureza Urbana

Founding partner of Natureza Urbana. Architect and Urban Planner, studied at the Polytechnic of Milan (Italy), graduated from the Federal University of Pernambuco (UFPE-Brazil) and has an Advanced…

Houria DJOUDI

Deni POREJ

Director Marine Conservation

Neom

Dr. Deni Porej is the Marine Conservation Director at NEOM, where he leads one of the world’s most ambitious marine conservation programs. Overseeing 4,000 km² of pristine northern Red Sea waters, he…

Stijn VERSCHUEREN

Conservation scientist

Cheetah Conservation Fund

Conservation scientist with affiliations at the Cheetah Conservation Fund (Namibia) and the Conservation Biology Division, University of Bern (Switzerland). Specializes in carnivore ecology,…