All Speakers

Speaker Lewis Cocks COCKS
Lewis Cocks COCKS

Aquarium Curator

The National Aquarium

Working with aquatics since the age of 15, i have steadily been involved with aquariums, conservation and fieldwork for 20 years and have spent the last 13 years in the GCC. Currently the Curator of…
Speaker Aleksander TRAJCE
Aleksander TRAJCE

Executive Director

PPNEA

Aleksandër Trajçe is the Executive Director of PPNEA, the oldest and largest nature conservation organisation in Albania. Active in nature conservation since 2004, he combines a strong scientific…
Speaker Cheryl MARGOLUIS
Cheryl MARGOLUIS

Executive Director of CARE-WWF Alliance

WWF

Cheryl Margoluis is the Executive Director of the CARE-WWF Alliance, a unique partnership between two global leaders in development and conservation. She leads efforts to design and scale integrated…
Speaker JUN LIU
JUN LIU

Senior Expert of the Department

China National Petroleum Corporation

Speaker Bo SANN
Bo SANN

IUCN Secretariat

Speaker Lara OCALLAGHAN
Lara OCALLAGHAN

GCELS Staff Student Intern

Center for Environmental Legal Studies

Lara O'Callaghan is a J.D. candidate at the Elisabeth Haub School of Law at Pace University, where she is actively involved with the Global Center for Environmental Legal Studies. Her studies focus…
Speaker Azzedine DOWNES
Azzedine DOWNES

President and Chief Executive Officer

IFAW - International Fund for Animal Welfare

Azzedine T. Downes, President & CEO of the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW)As President and CEO of the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW) since 2012 and since joining the…
Speaker David EMMETT
David EMMETT

Head of International Biodiversity

Hempel Foundation

I am a tropical nature conservationist with almost 30 years of experience from East Africa, Madagascar and the Asia-Pacific. I specialise in strategic planning, landscape-scale conservation,…
Speaker Jim GUENTER
Jim GUENTER

CEO

Species360

Jim Guenter is the Chief Executive Officer of Species360, a global non-profit that empowers zoos, aquariums, and botanical gardens to advance species conservation through data sharing and…
Speaker Melinka NAJERA
Melinka NAJERA

Coordinadora regional del Programa Enlazando

IUCN

After my graduation in Spain and Belgium as a forestry engineer with a master in tropical forestry and development, I moved to the Central America region in 2011. During my career, I have gained…
Speaker Victoria LICHTSCHEIN
Victoria LICHTSCHEIN

Directora Ejecutiva encargada

Fundación Biodiversidad Argentina

I am an Argentine biologist. In the early years of my career, I was a marine scientific researcher and worked mainly on whales, dolphins and penguins in my country. Later, I entered the national…
Speaker Hui REN
Hui REN

GEF and GCF Task Manager

IUCN

As the GEF/GCF Task Manager at IUCN, Hui Ren oversees the formulation and implementation of GEF and GCF projects across the West Asia portfolio. Since 2022, including her experience as a Climate…
Speaker Mary BLAIR
Mary BLAIR

Associate Director

Center for Biodiversity and Conservation, American Museum of Natural History

Mary E. Blair, Ph.D. is the Associate Director of the Center for Biodiversity and Conservation at the American Museum of Natural History. She leads an interdisciplinary research program on…
Speaker Jun HASHIMOTO
Jun HASHIMOTO

Landscape architect

Shimizu Corporation

I aspire to be a person who can articulate the inherent value of nature. I deeply believe in the power of landscape architecture—its potential not only to solve diverse problems related to human land…
Speaker Tekau FRERE
Tekau FRERE
Tekau Frere, a French Polynesian consultant, serves as the coordinator of the Marine Protected Areas working group of the High Seas Alliance, a network of over 70 international non governmental…
Speaker Noor BADER
Noor BADER

Student

Ecoherence New York University Abu Dhabi

Nour Bader is a biology undergraduate at New York University Abu Dhabi, specializing in Brain and Cognitive Sciences with minors in Psychology and Anthropology. Passionate about neuroscience and…
Speaker Nadia MUJICA ROSERO
Nadia MUJICA ROSERO

Multilateral Portfolio manager for Latin america

IUCN

Nadia Mujica Rosero is a Portfolio Manager for Latin America and the Caribbean at the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), based at the Regional Office for Mexico, Central America,…
Speaker Liubov TIMOFEEVA
Liubov TIMOFEEVA

Nature-based Solutions Project Officer

IUCN - Regional Office for Eastern Europe and Central Asia

Liubov Timofeeva serves as a Nature-based Solutions Project Officer at the Regional Office for Eastern Europe and Central Asia, which she joined in 2023. Her primary focus is on NbS projects for…
Speaker Neida ARIMUYA
Neida ARIMUYA

Indigenous Expert

IPO

Neida Andi Arimuya is a spiritual guide of the Siona people of the Amazon region of Ecuador with extensive experience in the areas of biodiversity conservation and adaptation to climate change.
Speaker Mark EIGENRAAM
Mark EIGENRAAM

Director

IDEEA Group

Mark has worked in environmental markets and natural capital accounting for over 25 years across academic and government institutions at all levels. Mark produced Australia’s first set of…
Speaker Paul ESTEVE
Paul ESTEVE

Coordinateur PPI

Comité national de l’UICN, France

Paul Estève is an agronomist and, after professional experience in Kenya, has worked for the French Committee of the IUCN for 15 years. He coordinates the Small Initiatives Programme (PPI), a…
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 Cécile ERNY
Cécile ERNY

Director

AFdPZ

Conservation biologist Cécile Erny is a conservation leader specializing in biodiversity management, zoo coordination, and wildlife protection. Since 2009, she has served as Director of the…
Speaker Jean-Mary TJIOHIMBA
Jean-Mary TJIOHIMBA

The SAN Vision Foundation (TSVF)

Jean-Mary Tjiohimba is an Indigenous human rights defender and advocate for the San people, renowned for her tireless work in defending the rights of Indigenous communities. She has spoken on global…
Speaker Swetha STOTRA BHASHYAM
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…
Speaker Louise MAIR
Louise MAIR

Research Fellow

Newcastle University

I am a research fellow at Newcastle University, UK, working on global biodiversity conservation and policy. My research focuses on delivering the science required to inform and support the…
Speaker Diana GARLYTSKA
Diana GARLYTSKA

Youth Advisory Committee Chair

IUCN

Diana Garlytska is a young expert who over 9 years of her career in academia has taught in more than a dozen of countries across Europe and Asia as a visiting lecturer. Diana has written several…
Speaker Roshani LIMBOO
Roshani LIMBOO

Member

ICCA Network Nepal

Master's in Sociology (2025) and Political Science (2018). Has more than 10 years of working experience in conservation and rural development, with a focus on income-generating activities for poverty…