HIS SERENE HIGHNESS PRINCE ALBERT II OF MONACO
Fondation Prince Albert II de Monaco
HSH Prince Albert, Alexandre, Louis, Pierre, Sovereign Prince of
Monaco, Marquis of Baux, was born on March 14, 1958.
HSH Prince Albert II of Monaco acceded to the throne on July 12,
2005. The following year, he created the Prince Albert II of Monaco
Foundation, which continues his personal commitment to the
protection of the environment by supporting sustainable, ethical and
innovative projects around the world, with a focus on three main
challenges: fighting against climate change and promoting renewable
energy; combating the loss of biodiversity; and preserving water
resources.
In January 2009, HSH Prince Albert undertook a
scientific journey in the Antarctic. This journey followed two
expeditions to the Arctic in 2005 to Spitzberg and
in 2006, when he reached the North Pole by sledge.
HSH Prince Albert has received, among other honors, The
Teddy Roosevelt Medal at the United States Congress, the Roger
Revelle Prize at the University of California, San Diego, and the
B.A.U.M Environmental Award, Hamburg. These distinctions were
awarded to him in acknowledgement of his actions towards
environmental protection.
HM Queen Noor
Ocean Elders
HM Queen Noor is an international public servant and advocate for cross-cultural understanding and conflict prevention and recovery issues such as refugees, missing persons, poverty, climate change, and disarmament. Her peace-building work has focused on the Middle East, the Balkans, Central and Southeast Asia, Latin America and Africa.
Her work in Jordan and the Arab world is focused on national and regional human security in the areas of education, conservation, sustainable development, human rights, and cross-cultural understanding. www.nooralhusseinfoundation.org www.kinghusseinfoundation.org
She has been patron of Jordan’s Royal Society for the Conservation of Nature (RSCN) and chair of Jordan’s National Commission, which developed the region’s first national environment strategy and law, and is currently a patron of the International Union for Conservation of Nature, founding and emeritus President of BirdLife International, trustee emeritus of Conservation International, a member of the Ocean Elders, Commissioner for the International Commission on Missing Persons, President of United World Colleges, director of Refugees International, founding leader of Global Zero, and Trustee of the Aspen Institute.
The Hon. C. Walton D. Brown Jr, JP. MP
Minister of Home Affairs
Minister of Home Affairs, the Hon. C. Walton D. Brown Jr, JP. MP is a political scientist and well-known social commentator and analyst. As a Member of Parliament since 2012, he has been a vocal proponent for comprehensive and collaborative immigration reform, and is a member of the Progressive Labor Party.
Walton taught politics and history for 12 years at Bermuda College and later entered the private sector full time as founder and president of Research Innovations. He is an alumnus of West Pembroke School, The Berkeley Institute and Bermuda College. Walton has a bachelor’s degree in Political Studies from Queen's University and a master’s in Political Science from York University, both in Canada.
Walton has authored many academic papers, been published extensively, and made numerous presentations at international conferences. His book "Bermuda and the Struggle for Reform: Race, Politics and Ideology, 1944–1998" won the National Literary Award for Nonfiction in 2013.
Sir Richard Branson
Founder
Virgin Group
Sir Richard Branson founded the Virgin Group in 1970, which has gone on to grow successful businesses in sectors including mobile telephony, travel and transportation, financial services, leisure and entertainment and health and wellness. Virgin is a leading international investment group and one of the world's most recognized and respected brands.
Since starting youth culture magazine Student aged just 16, Richard has found entrepreneurial ways to drive positive change in the world. In 2004 he established Virgin Unite, the non-profit foundation of the Virgin Group, which unites people and entrepreneurial ideas to create opportunities for a better world. Most of his time is now spent building businesses that will make a positive difference to the world and working with Virgin Unite and the organizations it has incubated, such as The Elders, The Carbon War Room, The B Team and Ocean Unite. Richard also serves on the Global Commission on Drug Policy and supports ocean conservation with the Ocean Elders.
Dr the Honourable Kedrick D. Pickering
Deputy Premier
Government of the Virgin Islands
Dr. Pickering is the Deputy Premier of the Government of the Virgin Islands, as well as Minister with responsibility for natural resources and labour and the development of the country’s airport. He was first elected to public office in 1999, and is currently serving his fifth term in elective office. A physician by training, Kedrick earned his medical qualifications at the University of the West Indies, Mona Campus, Jamaica, subsequently earning specialist qualifications in obstetrics/gynecology. He is a Fellow of the American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology, and maintains a private practice.
Kedrick remains deeply involved in community development, and has a longstanding interest in the environment, serving for several years on the board of the BVI National Parks Trust and playing a central role as Minister of Government in the Caribbean Challenge Initiative, the European Union Overseas Countries and Territories Forum, and the BVI’s Climate Change Policy.
John Podesta
Distinguished Visiting Professor
Georgetown University Law Center
John Podesta served as Chair of Hillary for America. Prior to joining Hillary Clinton's campaign, he served as Counselor to President Barack Obama where he oversaw climate change and energy policy. He also recently served on the President’s Global Development Council and the UN Secretary General’s High-Level Panel of Eminent Persons on the Post-2015 Development Agenda. He is the former Chair of the Washington, D.C.-based think tank Center for American Progress and the Center for American Progress Action Fund.
Prior to founding the Center in 2003, Podesta served as White House chief of staff to President William J. Clinton. A Chicago native, Podesta is a graduate of Knox College and the Georgetown University Law Center. He is now a board member at the Center for American Progress and a distinguished visiting professor at the Georgetown University Law Center.
The Hon. Dominic LeBlanc
Minister of Fisheries, Oceans and the Canadian Coast Guard
Government of Canada
The Honourable Dominic LeBlanc was first elected to the Canadian House of Commons in November 2000 and re-elected in 2004, 2006, 2008, 2011 and 2015. He is currently serving as the Government House Leader as well as the Minister of Fisheries, Oceans, and the Canadian Coast Guard. He has served on the Standing Committees on Fisheries and Oceans, Transport and Government Operations, National Defence and Veterans Affairs, Public Accounts, Procedures and House Affairs, International Trade, Justice and Human Rights, and Foreign Affairs. He has also served as Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of National Defence.
Before entering politics Dominic attended the Universities of Toronto and New Brunswick, and later Harvard Law School, then began a career as barrister and solicitor with Clark Drummie in Shediac and Moncton, New Brunswick. From 1993 to 1996, Dominic was Special Advisor to the Prime Minister of Canada, the Right Honourable Jean Chrétien.
H.E. Ambassador Marlene Moses
Permanent Representative of Nauru
United Nations
H.E. Ambassador Marlene Moses is the Permanent Representative of Nauru to the United Nations and Chair of the Group of Pacific Small Island Developing States.
Ambassador Moses has championed the health, productivity and resilience of the ocean over the course of her diplomatic career. As Chair of the Alliance of Small Island States, she spearheaded island block negotiations for the Rio+20 Outcome on Oceans and for the SAMOA Pathway on sustainable development of Small Island Developing States. She also led advocacy for two standalone Sustainable Development Goals, on Oceans and on Climate Change. As Chair of Pacific SIDS, she coordinated the Group’s role in the UN’s The Ocean Conference and continues in current negotiations to develop a new treaty for biodiversity on the high seas. She is a strong advocate for addressing the implications of climate change on global peace and security through coordinated action at the UN.
Kristin Jacobs
Member
Florida House of Representatives
Kristin Jacobs is the Executive Director of Resiliency Florida and a highly regarded voice in the field of resiliency, sustainable growth and climate change policy. Kristin currently serves as the State Representative in Florida’s 96th House District, where she continues her advocacy for building a more resilient and sustainable state. She previously spent 16 years as Broward County Commissioner and was twice chosen to serve as Mayor. In 2008 Kristin led the creation of the Southeast Florida Climate Change Compact uniting Broward, Miami-Dade, Palm Beach and Monroe coun-ties and 109 cities behind a unified mega-regional climate action plan.
In 2011, she was selected to serve as Chair of the White House National Ocean Council’s Governance Coordinating Committee, which advised President Obama on local government perspectives on ocean policy. In 2013 President Obama appointed her to the Local and Tribal Leaders Task Force on Climate Preparedness and Resilience.
Vice Admiral Michael T. Franken
Vice Admiral (retired)
US Navy (Ret.)
A former US Navy Vice Admiral, Michael Franken has broad experience in geo-political affairs, policy development, strategic planning, and worldwide joint and multinational military operations. He has led a defense agency in Washington, DC, a task force in Africa, a multinational task force of ships and aircraft in the Persian Gulf, and commanded a ship and squadron. He served in operations, policy-making, and technical offices on the Joint Staff, in the office of the Secretary of Defense, at US Central and US Africa Commands, and in four Navy departments in staff positions. Michael also served as the Navy’s Chief of Legislative Affairs and on the personal staff of Senator Edward M. Kennedy.
He has extensive experience in executing the multi-agency 3-D process of diplomacy, development, and defense throughout Africa and the Middle East. Michael is from rural Iowa.
Peter Thomson
Special envoy for the Ocean
United Nations
Peter Thomson is the United Nations Secretary General’s Special Envoy for the Ocean. His role is to galvanize concerted efforts to follow up on the outcomes of the UN’s The Ocean Conference (2017) in support of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. Previously, he was the Permanent Representative of Fiji to the UN and President of the 71st session of the UN General Assembly.
Peter was elected President of the Assembly of the International Seabed Authority’s 2011–2012 session and President of the Council of the ISA’s 2015–2016 session, chaired the Group of 77 and China (2013), and served as President of the Executive Board of the UN Development Programme/UN Population Fund/UN Office for Project Services from 2014 to 2015. As a civil servant in the Government of Fiji, Peter devoted many years of his life to working in the fields of rural development and then foreign affairs.
Dr. Maryam Golnaraghi
Director Extreme Events and Climate Risks Programme
The Geneva Association
Dr. Golnaraghi is the Director of Extreme Events and Climate Risks at The Geneva Association. With over 20 years in international executive and senior advisory positions in the industry, government and the United Nations, Maryam is working at the forefront of developing proactive policies, investment and risk management strategies and public-private partnerships for: (i) building socio-economic resilience to extreme events and climate risks; and, (ii) enabling transitioning to a low carbon economy.
Her latest research is focused on concrete opportunities to leverage the insurance industry’s contributions as risk underwriters and institutional investors, to addressing the global climate change goals and targets. Dr. Golnaraghi serves as a senior advisor to a number of high-level international, national, industry and academic advisory boards. She holds a BS in Chemical Engineering from Cornell University, an MS in Applied Physics and a PhD in Physical Oceanography from Harvard University.
Mike McGavick
Chief Executive Officer
XL Catlin
Mike McGavick serves as CEO of XL Group ltd, which provides insurance and reinsurance risk solutions globally under the XL Catlin brand and through its subsidiaries. From 2001 to 2005, Mike was chairman, president and CEO of Safeco Corporation.
Prior to joining Safeco, Mike spent six years with CNA Financial Corporation, where he held various senior positions, including president and CEO of the company's largest commercial insurance unit. Additionally, Mike is currently the Chairman of the Geneva Association and is on the board of the Global Reinsurance Forum, the American Insurance Association, the Insurance Information Institute and the International Insurance Society.
Steven Adler
Chairman
Ocean Data Alliance
Steven Adler is a leader in data governance and strategy. He invented the fields of internet insurance, data governance, data strategy, and people data, and patented the IBM Enterprise Privacy Architecture. In 2014, he organized Africa Open Data jams to help West Africa use Open Data to fight the Ebola outbreak, and gave a TEDx talk on this experience. In 2015, he was appointed to the US Commerce Department’s Data Advisory Council. In 2016, he organized The Data Cooking Show in Lima, showing journalists that working with data is as easy as cooking with a good recipe.
For 21 years at IBM, Steven was a thought leader, product developer, and company evangelist. In his last year, he created a program to use Watson to identify objects in satellite images. He has given hundreds of media interviews, and continues to work as a force for change in the world.
José Maria Figueres
Former President of Costa Rica, Founder
Ocean Unite
José María Figueres is the co-Founder of Ocean Unite. Mr Figueres was the President of Costa Rica from 1994 to 1998, under a one-term constitutional mandate. Since leaving government, Mr Figueres has served as the Co-Chair of the Global Ocean Commission and on numerous other boards.
He was chairman of LEAD (Leadership for Environment and Development) as well as the small business agency FUNDES Internacional. In 2000, he was appointed Managing Director of the World Economic Forum, and served as the organisation’s first Chief Executive between 2003 and 2004. He has also been a Director of the World Resources Institute (WRI), the Stockholm Environment Institute, WWF, and served as the President of the Carbon War Room.
Kathy Baughman McLeod
Global Environmental and Social Risk Executive
Bank Of America
Kathy Baughman McLeod is a recognized global expert on environment, climate change and risk financing, with an exceptional track record of spearheading innovation for multinational organizations. As Managing Director, Climate Risk & Resilience for The Nature Conservancy, Kathy leads a global team of 50 scientists, policy and field experts, financial specialists, and communications strategists focused on using natural infrastructure (reefs, wetlands and dunes) to reduce storm and flood risk throughout Latin America, Australia, Asia, the US and the Caribbean.
She is the architect of Conservancy’s “Insurance for Nature” program that created a new category of insurance products designed to mitigate climate risk for communities, companies and countries with fragile economies. Kathy holds an MBA from Duke’s Fuqua School of Business, an MS in Geography, and a BS in International Affairs from Florida State University, and is a 2013 policy fellow of the French Foreign Ministry.
Dr Annette Detken
Heads the Sector Policy Unit Economic Development and Education
KfW Development Bank
Dr Annette Detken heads the Sector Policy Unit Economic Development and Education of KfW Development Bank. The unit is the focal point for policy and strategic issues regarding KfW activities in economic and financial system development in developing countries. Throughout her career, Annette has focused on climate and environmental protection, with an added focus on insurance market development since 2015.
Previously, Annette managed the acquisition team of KfW Carbon Fund, working closely with the private sector. Prior to that she was Head of Division in the Economic Research Directorate, where her main responsibilities encompassed the development of new promotional instruments as well as the evaluation of KfW´s domestic environmental programmes.
Annette studied economics and finance at the University of St. Gallen and the Stern School of Business, New York University. After her PhD studies at the University of Basel she joined KfW Bankengruppe in 1999.
Chip Cunliffe
Director, Sustainable Development
XL Catlin
Chip manages XL Catlin’s Ocean Risk Initiative which works to promote both research and understanding of the implications of ocean change on the future risk landscape.
He helped to establish and manage the Catlin Arctic Survey (2009-2011), and subsequently the XL Catlin Seaview Survey (2012-2016) and the XL Catlin Deep Ocean Survey (2016). Chip established XL Catlin’s Oceans Education programme, designed to increase ocean literacy to students around the world. So far over 3.5 million children from 96 countries have taken part, with a target to reach 10 million by 2020. Chip has also planned and led expeditions to the rainforests of Borneo, central and south America and is a trained geography teacher.
Prof. Bill Curry
President and Chief Executive Officer
Bermuda Institute of Ocean Sciences
Bill Curry joined Bermuda Institute of Ocean Sciences (BIOS) in 2012 as President and CEO. Prior to joining BIOS, he was a Senior Scientist at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI) and the Director of the WHOI Ocean and Climate Change Institute (OCCI).
Curry has twice served as a Program Director at the National Science Foundation in the Division of Atmospheric and Geospace Sciences and from 1995 to 1999, he was the Chair of the WHOI Department of Geology and Geophysics. He has served on the Ocean Studies Board of the National Research Council as well as numerous National Science Foundation (NSF) and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) advisory and review panels. In 2004, he was elected Fellow of the American Geophysical Union (AGU).
Rowan Douglas CBE
Head of Capital, Science & Policy Practice
Willis Towers Watson
Rowan is Head of Capital, Science & Policy Practice at Willis Towers Watson, the global advisory, broking and solutions company, supporting the management, regulation and financing of risks from climate, terrorism, cyber and other perils. Previously, he served on the Board of the Group's reinsurance division, Willis Re, as CEO Global Analytics and was appointed onto the UK Prime Minister's Council for Science & Technology 2011–2016.
Rowan led the foundation of the Insurance Development Forum with the World Bank, United Nations Development Programme and global insurance industry leaders in 2015 to address the UN 2030 Sustainable Development Goals and Paris Agreements. Rowan received a CBE in 2016 for services to the economy through risk, insurance and sustainable growth.
Prof. Kerry Emanuel
Professor of Atmospheric Science, MIT
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Professor Emanuel is the Cecil and Ida Green Professor of Atmospheric Science at MIT, where he has been on the faculty since 1981, after spending three years on the faculty of UCLA. Kerry’s research focuses on tropical meteorology and climate, with a specialty in hurricane physics.
His interests include cumulus convection, and advanced methods of sampling the atmosphere in aid of numerical weather prediction. He is the author or co-author of over 200 peer-reviewed scientific papers, and three books. Professor Emanuel is also a co-director of MIT’s Lorenz Center, a climate think tank devoted to basic, curiosity-driven climate research.
Charles Goddard
Editorial Director
Economist Intelligence Unit
Charles Goddard leads the Economist Intelligence Unit’s editorial services in Asia-Pacific, including Corporate Network, a peer group for senior decision-makers of global businesses operating in the region. He is also executive director of The Economist's World Ocean Summit, a global series of events on the sustainable use of our seas.
A journalist by background, he has worked across a range of publications and services at the Economist Intelligence Unit, including as author of the China Market Atlas series and director of its research divisions. A frequent traveller and speaker, Charles interacts regularly with business and government leaders across Asia.
Concepcion Aisa
Senior Financial Officer – lead Banker for Environment
The World Bank Treasury
Concepcion Aisa is Senior Financial Officer – lead Banker of Environment
– at the World Bank Treasury. A seasoned international finance and
banking sector professional, she has held a wide variety of positions at
leading international private and public financial institutions. Her areas of
expertise include structured finance, securitization and climate finance.
At the World Bank Treasury, Concepcion focuses on designing customized
financial solutions for emerging-market- country clients with an emphasis on
climate finance and environment. Her responsibilities include working with
member countries to develop financing opportunities for energy efficiency,
disaster risk and other programs. She has also been instrumental in the
development of innovative financing structures for refugees and host
communities in the Middle East. Other initiatives include the first World
Bank catastrophe financing program in South Asia, Islamic finance,
weather derivatives and the securitization of carbon credits.
Concepcion joined the World Bank in 2009, and spent a year with the
climate finance team in the environment department before moving to
Treasury.
John Huff
President and CEO
ABIR
John Huff serves as President and CEO of the Association of Bermuda Insurers and Reinsurers (ABIR). ABIR represents the public-policy interests of Bermuda’s international property and casualty insurers and reinsurers, which protect consumers around the world. With headquarters and operations in Bermuda and operating subsidiaries in the United States and Europe, ABIR member companies do business in more than 150 countries, employ nearly 53,000 people and write over US$ 92 billion annually in gross written premium.
John has more than 25 years’ experience in the insurance sector, most recently as the 2016 president of the US National Association of Insurance Commissioners and as Director of the Missouri Department of Insurance. He was the first insurance regulator to serve on the US Financial Stability Oversight Council.
Prior to entering public service, John spent more than a decade in executive positions with leading global insurers and reinsurers.
Dr. Amal-Lee Amin
Chief of Climate Change Division
Inter-American Development Bank
Dr Amal-Lee Amin is Chief of the Climate Change and Sustainability Division at the Inter-American Development Bank. Her return in August 2015 follows a two-year role leading on design and implementation of the Climate Investment Funds from 2008–2010. From 2011–2015 Amal-Lee was Associate Director at E3G, leading a program on international climate finance within Africa, Asia and Latin America, including the launch of a high-level dialogue on China’s Green Finance Pathway to 2030.
From 2001–2011, Amal-Lee worked at the heart of the UK government developing strategy and policy on climate change and sustainable energy. Her achievements include the design of a new Green Investment Bank, successfully engaging developing countries on the UK’s G8 and EU Presidencies, leading EU negotiations under the UNFCCC, and development of high-profile partnerships between the UK/EU and developing countries.
Leonard Jones
Managing Director
Moody's Public Finance Group
Leonard Jones is a Managing Director for Moody’s Public Finance Group, responsible for credit ratings of local governments in the Eastern and Western US. Prior to joining Moody’s, Lenny was a Partner at Rice Financial Products Company, where he managed its investment banking business and specialized in public infrastructure finance.
Lenny was previously a Senior Consultant at ABT Associates, Chief Consultant to the Zambia Privatization Agency, Vice President at Morgan Stanley & Co., Inc., Vice President at Smith Barney Harris Upham & Co., and Assistant Treasurer in the International Department of Chase Manhattan Bank. Lenny has an MBA from the Stanford Graduate School of Business and a Bachelor of Arts in economics from Dartmouth College.
Zachary Harding
CEO
Caribbean Climate-Smart Accelerator
Zachary Harding is founder and Chairman of Hyperion Equity, LLC, a private firm with investments in marketing services, biometric research, media and film. Previously, Zachary held senior management and strategic marketing roles at companies including Appliance Traders Ltd., Wisynco Group, Red Stripe/Diageo and Grace Kennedy. He also founded and managed Agency20Seven – an advertising, marketing and new media company.
Zachary serves as a board member for many organizations, and was recently asked to lead the Caribbean Climate-Smart Accelerator, an entrepreneurial engine that catalyzes and accelerates priority initiatives towards a climate-smart zone, delivering resilience, social development and broad-based economic growth for the Caribbean. From 2008 to 2010 Zachary was seconded to the Tourism Ministry as Special Adviser to the Minister and Deputy Director at the Jamaica Tourist Board. In 2012, Harding was named one of the top “50 Under Fifty: Business Leaders Shaping Jamaica's Future” by the Private Sector Organisation of Jamaica and The Gleaner newspaper.
Timothy A. Bouley, MD
Founder and Program Lead, Climate Change and Health
The World Bank
Timothy Bouley founded and currently leads the climate change and health program at the World Bank. Since 2015, the program has increased the share of Bank climate-sensitive health lending by 29%, corresponding to more than US$ 1 billion in finance for 2018. Timothy was also a founding member of the global ocean team, the One Health team, and several programs to initiate improved development project uptake of satellite remote sensing, earth observation, and data science.
Trained as a medical doctor and environmental scientist, Timothy previously worked with the Nuclear and Radiation Studies Board of the US National Academy of Sciences, the World Health Organization’s climate change and health cluster, and in health systems throughout lower income and lower middle income countries.
Timothy sits on a number of advisory bodies for organizations addressing climate change, health, or oceans in academia, civil society, finance, and tech. He holds degrees in biology, bioethics, geography, and medicine from Tufts, Harvard, Oxford, and Duke.
Tony Long
CEO
Global Fishing Watch
Tony Long is CEO of Global Fishing Watch, a newly independent non-profit that aims to improve sustainability in ocean resources through increased transparency in commercial fishing activity. Previously, he led The Pew Charitable Trusts’ work to end illegal fishing. In this role he brought policy and technology together in order to provide enforcement authorities with the information needed to address illegal fishing.
He entered into ocean conservation after 27 years in the British Royal Navy, where he reached the rank of commander. Most recently, he served the head of the Navy’s strategy team, providing ministerial-level defence planning and policy support, and also acted as the High North (Arctic) lead adviser, responsible for researching and understanding maritime security issues arising from environmental changes in the region.
Maria Damanaki
Global Managing Director for the Ocean
The Nature Conservancy
Maria Damanaki is the Global Managing Director for the Ocean at The Nature Conservancy. Previously, she served as the European Union Commissioner for Maritime Affairs and Fisheries. Under her leadership, the Commission brought fish populations back to healthier levels—from as few as five sustainable stocks in 2010 to up to 27 today.
Damanaki was also a member of the Greek Parliament; she became the first woman to lead a political party in Greece in 1990, and was the first woman elected as Vice President of Parliament in 1986. She has authored several books on European issues, human rights, education, and women’s rights; and received an MSc in Chemical Engineering from the National Technical University of Athens.
Craig McLean
Acting Chief Scientist
NOAA
Craig McLean is the Acting Chief Scientist for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and Assistant Administrator for Oceanic and Atmospheric Research (OAR), where he is responsible for directing and implementing its research enterprise. Among numerous formal international engagements in science and technology, Craig serves as the US Representative to the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (and the Co-chair of the US European Union Marine Working Group. Craig previously served as NOAA’s Acting Deputy Assistant Administrator of the National Ocean Service, was founding Director of OAR’s Office of Ocean Exploration and Research and served nearly 25 years in NOAA’s Commissioned Corps, making Captain’s rank.
Among his achievements and accolades, Craig led NOAA’s planning for the Smithsonian Institution’s Sant Ocean Hall and has won the Department of Commerce Silver and Bronze Medals, and the NOAA Corps Commendation Medal and Special Achievement Medal.
Gregory Clough
Acting Director
Oceans Beyond Piracy
Gregory Clough is the Acting Director of Oceans Beyond Piracy, a program of the One Earth Future Foundation. Gregory joined the organization in 2014 as the Project Manager for West Africa. Since then, his role has expanded to researching and supporting efforts to combat global piracy and improve maritime security. As part of these efforts, he conceptualized and co-led the development of the Stable Seas: Maritime Security Index, which looks at the interconnection between maritime security challenges such as piracy, migration and illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing.
Prior to joining One Earth Future, Gregory worked at iDE and the International Centre for Migration Policy Development. He received an MA in Advanced International Studies from the Diplomatic Academy of Vienna, and a BA in History from the University of Colorado.
Dr Robert Muir-Wood
Chief Research Officer
Risk Management Solutions
Dr Robert Muir-Wood has been Chief Research Officer at Risk Management Solutions since 2003, with a mission to explore models for new areas of risk and applications beyond insurance. He holds a degree in Natural Sciences and a PhD in Earth Sciences from the University of Cambridge, where he was also a Research Fellow. Since 1992 Robert has worked on the development of methodologies for catastrophe loss modelling of earthquake, tropical cyclone, windstorm and flood perils.
He was Lead Author on ‘Insurance, Finance and Climate Change’ for the 2007 4th IPCC Assessment Report and the 2011 IPCC ‘Special Report on Extremes’. He is Chair of the OECD High Level Advisory Board on Financial Management of Large-Scale Catastrophes and is a Visiting Professor at the Institute for Risk & Disaster Reduction, University College London. Robert has published seven books, written scientific papers on earthquake, flood and windstorm perils and published over 200 articles.
Dr Jenna Jambeck
Associate Professor of Environmental Engineering
University of Georgia
Dr Jenna Jambeck is an Associate Professor in the College of Engineering and Director of the Center for Circular Materials Management in the New Materials Institute at the University of Georgia. She teaches and has been conducting research on solid waste issues for over 20 years with related projects on marine debris since 2001.
She specializes in global waste management issues and plastic contamination, as well as currently working in policy and environmental diplomacy in the International Informational Speakers Program for the US State Department, conducting programs in South America, Southeast Asia, and Africa.
Dr Falk Niehörster
Director
Climate Risk Innovations
Dr Falk Niehörster is a mathematician (PhD) and leading expert in climate risk, catastrophe modelling and risk management approaches of the insurance industry. He is known as an innovator working towards applicable solutions and viable products around catastrophe risk. Falk interfaces science with decision-making on various organizational levels to support business development, pricing, underwriting and regulatory reports. He has a track record of involvement in high-level industry initiatives and working with leading academics on risk assessment and adaptation economics. Falk is currently focusing on ocean risk transfer for policy-makers and the insurance industry.
Previously, Falk was product strategist for Risk Management Solutions and Executive Manager of the Risk Prediction Initiative in Bermuda. At the London School of Economics, Falk was part of a multi-disciplinary team providing strategy support for the insurance and policy sector, including policy briefings for climate negotiations of the United Nations.
Yoshitaka Ota
Research Assistant Professor
University of Washington
Yoshitaka Ota is a social anthropologist, specializing in indigenous fisheries, climate change risk, global ocean governance, sustainable fisheries business solutions and environmental justice. He is a Research Assistant Professor for the School of Marine and Environmental Affairs at the University of Washington. Ota completed his B.Sc. (1995), M.Sc. (1998), and Ph.D. (2006) in Anthropology at University College London. Since 2011, he has been Director (Policy) at the Nereus Program, an interdisciplinary ocean research initiative between the non-profit Nippon Foundation and the University of British Columbia.
In 2016 Ota led a study on global seafood consumption by coastal indigenous peoples, which involved building a database of more than 1,900 indigenous communities and finding that coastal indigenous peoples consume nearly four times more seafood per capita than the global average.
Brendan Plessis
Executive Vice President, Emerging Markets
XL Catlin
Brendan Plessis is XL Catlin’s Executive Vice President for Emerging Markets. In this role Brendan leads the development of emerging market strategies by partnering with leaders across XL Catlin, in both Insurance and Reinsurance. Brendan joined XL Catlin in July 2015, previously holding a position as a managing director at Guy Carpenter & Company, Singapore.
He was the head of multinational and retrocession business for South East Asia, South Korea, India, China and Greater China. Prior to working at Guy Carpenter, Brendan held various senior level positions with Willis Re Bermuda, Gallagher Re Bermuda, IBL/Independent Management Group Bermuda and Aon Limited UK.
Prof Elizabeth J Z Robinson
Professor of Environmental Economics
University of Reading
Elizabeth Robinson is Professor of Environmental Economics in the School of Agriculture, Policy and Development at the University of Reading. She has more than 20 years’ experience of addressing how policies and institutions can be designed to protect both resource-dependent communities and the natural resource base. Much of this research focuses on the intersections of forests, fisheries, food security, and climate policy, particularly in low and middle-income countries.
Elizabeth holds a first class degree in Engineering, Economics and Management from the University of Oxford, and a PhD in Applied Economics from Stanford University. She has worked with the World Bank, The Rockefeller Foundation, the University of Oxford, and the UK’s Natural Resources Institute, and lived and worked in Tanzania and Ghana for six years. She is currently involved with The Lancet Countdown on Health and Climate Change.
Carl Gustaf Lundin
Director Global Marine and Polar Programme
IUCN
As director of the IUCN’s Global Marine and Polar Programme, Carl Gustaf Lundin is responsible for the development and management of all aspects of IUCN’s marine conservation work, including the collaboration with marine and coastal-based industries. Previously, Carl worked as an Environmental Specialist at the World Bank in Washington for more than 12 years, with particular focus on coastal and marine management issues in the developing world.
At both IUCN and the World Bank, Carl has been a key contributor to projects, conferences and publications on coastal and marine conservation in more than 75 countries. He is also a board member of a number of environmental committees and foundations. Carl has a Bachelor’s degree in Biology and Chemistry from Uppsala University in his native Sweden, and a Licentiate in Philosophy, Natural Resources Management, from Stockholm University. In addition, he has conducted a range of graduate studies on international environment issues.
Oliver Steeds
CEO and Mission Director
Nekton
Oliver is the CEO and Mission Director of Nekton Oxford Deep Ocean Research Institute (Nekton), a new marine institute that explores and protects the ocean. He is a submersible pilot, “a leading British ocean explorer” (Economist, 2nd Jan. 2016), a critically acclaimed broadcast journalist with ABC, NBC, Channel 4, Discovery Channels and others, and formerly a Director of the Brunswick Group.
He is a co-founder of Digital Explorer and the Ocean’s Academy, which engage young people in global issues.
Karen Sack
Managing Director
Ocean Unite
Originally from South Africa, Karen now lives in the United States and has over 20 years of experience working for international non-governmental organizations on environmental issues around the world. She set up Ocean Unite in 2015, a Global Leadership Initiative incubated by Virgin Unite, the Foundation of the Virgin Group and the Branson Family.
She was formerly Senior Director for International Oceans at The Pew Charitable Trusts where she initiated the Global Ocean Commission. Before that, she was the Head of Greenpeace International's Political & Business Unit and Head of their international oceans campaign. She has a M.A. in International Political Economy from The American University in Washington, D.C. and a M.Phil International Environmental Law from the University of Cape Town, South Africa.
Prof Rashid Sumaila
Director of the Fisheries Economics Research Unit & OceanCanada Partnership
The University of British Columbia
Prof Rashid Sumaila is Professor and Director of the Fisheries Economics Research Unit & OceanCanada Partnership at the University of British Columbia. He specializes in bioeconomics, marine ecosystem valuation and the analysis of global issues such as fisheries subsidies, illegal fishing, climate change and oil spills. Rashid has published extensively, including in Science, Nature and the Journal of Environmental Economics and Management.
He is winner of the 2017 Volvo Environmental Prize; 2017 Benchley Oceans Award in Science; 2016 UBC Killam Research Prize; 2013 American Fisheries Society Excellence in Public Outreach Award; 2009 Leopold Leadership Fellowship and 2008 Pew Marine Fellowship, and named a Hokkaido University Ambassador in 2016. His research has generated much interest and has been cited by, among others, The Economist, The Boston Globe, International Herald Tribune, the Globe and Mail, the Wall Street Journal and Vancouver Sun.
Kristian Teleki
Director - Sustainable Ocean Initiative
World Resources Institute
Kristian is currently the Director of Engagement with Ocean Unite, and is the senior advisor to the Marine Programme of the Princes of Wales’s International Sustainability Unit. Most recently he was the Director of Global engagement for the Global Ocean Commission. Prior to this he was vice-president of SeaWeb, where he was responsible for its sustainable-markets, science and Asia-Pacific programmes.
He has also been the director of the International Coral Reef Action Network and led the marine programme at the UN Environment Programme World Conservation Monitoring Centre. Kristian is on the boards of several environmental, development and social initiatives, and the editorial board of Aquatic Conservation. He has degrees from the University of California, Santa Barbara (summa cum laude), and Cambridge University.
Torsten Thiele
Founder
Global Ocean Trust
Torsten Thiele is a Visiting Fellow at the London School of Economics Institute of Global Affairs and a Research Associate at the Institute for Advanced Sustainability Studies, Potsdam. His research area is blue finance and better ocean governance solutions. Torsten consults widely with public, private and civil society organizations. He sits on the engagement board of the EU AtlantOS project and is a member of the IUCN World Commission on Protected Areas.
Torsten is an expert in the financing of complex infrastructure, with global experience in structuring debt and equity solutions. He worked in the City of London for over 20 years, and until 2013 was Head of Telecoms Project Finance at Investec Bank plc. Torsten holds degrees in law and economics from Bonn University, an MPA from the Harvard Kennedy School and an MPhil from the University of Cambridge.
Dr Tammy Warren
Senior Marine Resources Officer
Government of Bermuda Department of Environment and Natural Resources
Dr Tammy Warren is the Senior Marine Resources Officer for the Government of Bermuda Department of Environment and Natural Resources, and leads the team responsible for the management of all marine resources within Bermuda’s exclusive economic zone.
Tammy started her career as a marine biologist at the Bermuda Institute of Ocean Sciences. Since joining the Bermuda Government in 1995, she has worked on all aspects of fisheries, from biological research to fish stock assessments to strategic planning, policy and legislation. Tammy also represents Bermuda’s marine resources interests in international fora such as the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT), and has led negotiations for the United Kingdom Overseas Territories delegation. This experience, in conjunction with Bermuda’s role in efforts to better manage the Sargasso Sea, led to her being appointed to the Sargasso Sea Commission in 2014.
Mark Way
Director, Global Coastal Risk & Resilience
The Nature Conservancy
As Director, Global Coastal Risk & Resilience, The Nature Conservancy, Mark leads its coastal risk and resilience strategy, which focuses on nature-based resilience and involves working closely with leading members of the insurance industry to develop transformation approaches to managing coastal risk. He and his team are working on issues involving blue carbon, innovative insurance mechanisms and the development of web-based toolkits and platforms to support and promote the use of nature-based coastal resilience.
Prior to joining the Conservancy in 2016, Mark led Swiss Re's sustainability activities in the Americas. In both his current and previous role the topic of climate change risk and opportunity were at the center of his work.
Sally Yozell
Director Environmental Security Program
The Stimson Center
Sally Yozell is Director of the Stimson Center’s Environmental Security Program, where she leads the Center’s work examining the links between environmental crime and global security issues, with a focus on combatting illegal unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing and wildlife trafficking. Prior to joining Stimson, Sally was a Senior Advisor at the Department of State, where she provided advice and technical expertise to advance US policies related to ocean, climate, and wildlife protection, initially joining to manage the Our Ocean Conferences.
Previously, Yozell served as Director of Policy and Deputy Assistant Secretary at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, worked as a Regional Director for Marine Conservation at The Nature Conservancy and was a Vice President at Battelle Memorial Institute. Sally worked for almost a decade in the US Senate as an environment and energy advisor to Senator John Kerry.
Dr Lucy Woodall
Marine Ecologist
University of Oxford/Nekton
Lucy is a marine ecologist with a passion for the aquatic world. Her work broadly focuses on documenting and investigating the processes that drive the patterns of life in the marine biome, principally to better understand the deep sea, its stewardship and its connections to shallow waters and land. She has a particular interest in understanding the impacts of human activities on the ocean. Her microplastics research was the first to reveal the ubiquity of this pollutant in the deep sea and proposed the deep sea as a sink for microplastics. Since then she has investigated the impacts of plastics and other marine debris in our most remote oceans.
Lucy advises governments and NGOs on policy and management solutions for a range of marine challenges.
Jamie Buchanan-Dunlop
Founder & Director
Digital Explorer
Jamie Buchanan-Dunlop is the founder and director of Digital Explorer, a non-profit education agency that designs and runs programs to support student learning and engagement with global issues.
Through Digital Explorer, he has pioneered the use of virtual field trips, live broadcasts and virtual reality for classrooms internationally, working in both the polar regions, and many places in between. Jamie has worked closely with ocean literacy projects and marine expeditions, creating and running the XL Catlin Oceans Education programme and successfully campaigning for the inclusion of marine topics in the National Curriculum for England, among other projects.
Justin Locke
Director
Rocky Mountain Institute’s Islands Energy Program
Justin Locke is the Director of the Rocky Mountain Institute’s Islands Energy Program. The Program aims to accelerate the transition of island economies from a heavy dependence on fossil fuels to a diverse platform of renewables and energy efficiency, while establishing a blueprint for other isolated economies.
Justin previously held the position of Disaster Risk Management / Infrastructure Specialist at the World Bank where he managed one of the largest per capita investment portfolios in World Bank history. Prior to his tenure at the World Bank, Justin held the role of Development Specialist at the United Nations Development Program’s (UNDP) Regional Pacific Center based in Fiji, which provides technical assistance to over 14 Pacific island countries.
Justin holds a master’s degree in Public Administration in International Management from the Middlebury Institute of International Studies at Monterey and a bachelor’s degree from the University of California, Davis.
Professor Alex Rogers
Scientific Director
Nekton
Professor Alex Rogers is Scientific Director of Nekton Oxford Deep Ocean Research Institute (Nekton); Professor of Conservation Biology at the Department of Zoology, University of Oxford; Fellow of Somerville College, Oxford; and Scientific Director of both the International Programme on the State of the Ocean and the Global Ocean Commission. Alex has led and participated in more than 20 major marine expeditions including coordinating technical dive teams.
His marine policy work includes projects for the United Nations International Seabed Authority, UN Division of Oceans and Law of the Sea, the International Union for Conservation of Nature, and the G8 + 5 Global Legislators Organization for a Balanced Environment (GLOBE).
Alex was also a scientific advisor to the BBC Blue Planet II series, and is an advisor to WWF, the High Seas Alliance, and other civil society organizations.
Louise Heaps
Chief Adviser, Marine
WWF-UK
Louise Heaps is Marine Chief Adviser for WWF-UK. As part of the leadership team advancing WWF’s global efforts to secure a sustainable blue economy, she provides thought leadership and strategic direction to mobilize engagement and scale-up impact.
Louise has worked on ocean conservation around the globe for more than 25 years, including spending five years in the Pacific Islands region as Conservation Director for WWF’s Pacific Programme. She has led policy- and field-based marine programmes in developed and developing countries, working with civil society, public, and privatesector partners to deliver priorities ranging from community-based conservation solutions and sustainable fisheries management to ecoregional approaches. She has also led the development of a number of WWF’s ocean initiatives and facilitated multi-stakeholder processes in Europe, India and the Pacific Islands region.
Leo Heileman
Environment Regional Director for Latin America and the Caribbean
United Nations
Leo Heileman has been United Nations Environment Regional Director for Latin America and the Caribbean since February 2016. Previously, he was UN Resident Coordinator (UNRC) for the UN Development Programme (UNDP), the UN Population Fund Representative in Comoros, UNDP Interim Representative in Angola, and UNRC and UNDP Representative in Equatorial Guinea. Leo has worked with UN Environment in Paris, Nairobi and Mexico in various management positions. He has also worked as Senior Research Officer, Institute of Marine Affairs, and Senior Environmental Officer with the Trinidad and Tobago Oil Company Limited.
Leo holds a BSc Natural Sciences (focus on Analytical Chemistry), University of the West Indies, Trinidad and Tobago; MSc in Environmental Pollution Control and Operations Research, Pennsylvania State University, USA; and postgraduate diplomas in Marine Pollution Chemistry (Liverpool University, UK) and Management Studies (University of the West Indies).
Prof. Ove Hoegh-Guldberg
Director
Global Change Institute, University of Queensland
For 30 years Professor Hoegh-Guldberg has focused on marine ecosystems and climate change and is currently Director of the Global Change Institute and Professor of Marine Science at the University of Queensland. He has authored over 300 scientific articles, was lead author on Chapter 30 (‘The Ocean’) for the IPCC fifth assessment report, and is a Coordinating Lead Author of its Special Report on 1.5oC as a climate target.
Ove has won a number of awards, most recently the 2016 Banksia Foundational International Award. He is Deputy Director of the ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies and Chief Scientist on the XL-Catlin Seaview Survey and 50 Reefs Initiative.
Rolando Morillo
Vice President - Sustainability and Impact
Rockefeller Capital Management
Rolando Morillo has over 16 years’ experience within the investment department of Rockefeller & Co. and is currently Vice President and Equity Analyst of the Sustainability and Impact team. He is responsible for identifying and supporting the management of public equity investments for the Rockefeller Ocean Strategy and providing environmental, social and governance (ESG) research for the global investment team. He has also led the effort to provide thematic research on topics such as sustainable blue economy, water, sustainable healthcare and climate change.
Over the past eight years, Rolando has become engaged in the research and identification of solution-based companies that incorporate sustainability into their business models, and led the effort to deepen a firm’s research capability and further the ESG integration process within the asset management division. He obtained his B.A. in Environmental Economics and Geography from Rutgers University and is currently serving as a Director on the Board of the American Rainwater Catchment Systems Association Foundation.
Geir Myre
Head of Aqua Culture Insurance
XL Catlin
Geir Myre is the Global Head of Aquaculture at XL Catlin, a market-leading department in this niche area. He is based in Bergen and London. Previously Geir managed the Fish Farm Department at Norway Energy and Marine Insurance, and has gained his marine, insurance and engineering expertise through positions held since 1985.
Geir gained a degree in marine technical engineering from Bergen Polytechnic, with an additional degree in production engineering. He took a higher insurance degree at the University of Oslo, and studied fish disease, water-quality, fish farm law and aquaculture studies at the University of Bergen.
Robert Powell
Senior Consultant
The Economist Intelligence Unit (The EIU)
Robert PowelI is a Senior Consultant in the Public Policy, Economics and Politics team at The Economist Intelligence Unit. He advises private firms and government agencies, delivering studies and ranking models to assist in, among other areas, scenario planning, risk and opportunity assessment, and security and supply chain resilience. Among other projects, Robert is the project director of the Global Food Security Index, and project manager for the current edition of NTI’s Nuclear Security Index.
Prior to joining the Consulting team, Robert was the Business Operations Risk global manager and Regional Manager of the Middle East and Africa team. Rob holds a Masters degree from Trinity College Dublin, and has earned certificates in Banking Risk & Regulation and Global Oil & Gas Management. He is also a regular participant on the conference circuit, and maintains very active contacts with the media.
