Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries, and the Environment for the Republic of Palau, appointed in July 2021. A marine biologist by training, he holds a Master’s degree in Biology from the University of Guam and a postgraduate certificate from Cambridge Judge Business School. With over 20 years of experience, Victor has led environmental initiatives across Micronesia, including roles at the Palau International Coral Reef Center and The Nature Conservancy. He is a strong advocate for integrating science into sustainable resource management and climate resilience strategies. As Minister, he focuses on balancing environmental protection with sustainable development to support Palau’s people and ecosystems.

Founder and Executive Director of Global Ocean Trust, a nonprofit advancing sustainable ocean governance and innovative blue finance solutions. With over two decades in international project finance—including leadership roles at JPMorgan, the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, and Investec—he now advises global institutions on marine conservation, blue bonds, and nature-based solutions . Thiele holds graduate degrees in law and economics from Bonn University, an MPA from Harvard Kennedy School, and an MPhil in Conservation Leadership from the University of Cambridge . He serves as IUCN Ocean Finance Advisor and Senior Advisor, Blue Finance to the Ocean Risk and Resilience Action Alliance (ORRAA) and is Honorary Fellow at PML. His work emphasizes integrating conservation goals with financial strategies to promote ocean resilience and climate action.

A distinguished environmental lawyer and international policy expert, currently serving as Director of the Marine Policy Center and Senior Advisor on Ocean and Climate Policy at Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution. He has held senior roles at the United Nations, including Head of Strategic Planning at the Green Climate Fund and Director of the UNESCAP East and North-East Asia Office. Dr. Ramakrishna contributed to the drafting of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change and has been a lead author for multiple IPCC assessments. He has taught at prestigious institutions such as Harvard Law School, Yale, and the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy. An elected life member of the U.S. Council on Foreign Relations, he also chairs the Strategic Advisory Group of the Nippon Foundation-GEBCO Seabed 2030 Project.

Founder and CEO of Sustainable Ocean Alliance (SOA), which she established at age 19 while studying economics and government at Georgetown University. Under her leadership, SOA has grown into a global organization that cultivates and accelerates solutions to protect and sustain the ocean’s health, including launching the Ocean Solutions Accelerator to develop technological solutions addressing planetary threats. Fernandez is an international speaker on the entrepreneurial mindset, ocean innovation, technology, youth empowerment, and sustainability. She has been recognized as a Forbes 30 Under 30 Social Entrepreneur, World Economic Forum Global Shaper, and member of Friends of Ocean Action.

Deputy Director of the UN Global Team for the Global Fund for Coral Reefs (GFCR), hosted by the United Nations Capital Development Fund (UNCDF). With over 20 years of experience, his career is focused on international financing institutions, sustainable financing for conservation and development, government relations and policy, and multilateral environmental agreements. Previously, he served as CEO of the Caribbean Biodiversity Fund and worked with organizations like GITEC/GIZ in Mexico, The Nature Conservancy’s international government relations and Europe office, the World Bank-GEF Unit, the US Geological Survey, and IPAM (Amazon Environmental Research Institute) in Brazil.

Senior Program Manager, Sustainable Ocean Alliance. Passionate about empowering community leaders and entrepreneurs to build the skills and networks essential for climate resilience. With a diverse background spanning social entrepreneurship, climate policy, community building, impact assessment, and partnership management, she has worked with a wide range of organizations, from government agencies and innovation hubs to startups and nonprofits of all sizes. Jessica designs and manages the Ocean Leaders Fellowship designs and leads experiential learning programs that equip the next generation of ocean and climate leaders with the tools they need to create lasting change in international policy forums and locally-led community initiatives. Her previous work has taken her to over 40 countries, collaborating with renowned organizations such as WWF, MIT D-Lab, UNDP, and WEF, driving impact on a global scale.

Senior Research Fellow, Sasakawa Peace Foundation (SPF) in Tokyo, Japan. He was Program Director, SPF and Senior Research Fellow, Ocean Policy Research Institute (OPRI-SPF). He continues to undertake research work on ocean and sustainability policy including sustainable blue economies, marine environment and resource management, sustainable fisheries, marine pollution control, ocean based renewable energies, and regional and international cooperation and partnership. He worked on sustainability issues at the Ocean Policy Research Foundation, the Yokohama National University, the Institute for Global Environmental Strategies, the United Nations (New York, Geneva and Bonn) and the Permanent Mission to the United Nations in New York of the Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs.