In the Business of… Conservation
Join us at this special In the Business of Conservation event, hosted by the Master, our inspiring panel are all making a difference in environmental sustainability. Learn about the diverse career paths within the conservation sector, from wildlife management to policy development. Gain valuable insights into the challenges and rewards of working in this field and explore how you can contribute to a more sustainable future. Current students can
Speakers' bios:
Edward Pollard has 25 years’ experience in global biodiversity conservation and is a leading expert in the field of integrating biodiversity with business decision making. In over a decade with leading consultancy The Biodiversity Consultancy (TBC) Edward's work ranged from impact assessments in the Namib desert to developing biodiversity strategies for some of the largest companies in the world. He has contributed to scientific publications on topics such as Nature Positive, and on zero deforestation.
Prior to The Biodiversity Consultancy, Edward spent 15 years in Southeast Asia working on a range of forest conservation initiatives. Edward is also a Director of the UK Business and Biodiversity Forum, and county butterfly recorder for Cambridgeshire.
Jon Hutton was appointed Executive Director for Global Conservation Impact (and subsequently Chief Conservation Officer) at WWF International in December 2020. In this role he has been responsible for aligning the WWF network, guiding conservation strategies across the 9000 strong WWF Network, developing the initiatives critical to achieve impact and the safeguards that are necessary to protect both nature and people. Before that he was Director of the Luc Hoffmann Institute, an autonomous department of WWF International in the vanguard of conservation innovation. Under his leadership the Institute developed a steady flow of cutting-edge and relevant solutions for philanthropic investment, raising over $30 million to accelerate new ideas in just over five years. Jon joined the Institute in 2016 after spending ten years with UN as Executive Director of the Cambridge-based World Conservation Monitoring Centre (UNEP-WCMC).
An ecologist who trained for a first degree at °ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê¿ª½±½Ó¿Ú in the University of Cambridge, Jon won a scholarship to study wildlife management at the University of Zimbabwe. He went on to work in southern Africa for more than 20 years in a range of leadership positions directly linked to nature, natural resources and rural development. He has worked in governments, NGOs, the United Nations and the private sector - experiences that have provided him unique insights into the complex interplay between politics, economics and environmental policy. In 2000, Jon moved to Europe where he facilitated an innovative partnership between Zimbabwe-based ‘Resource Africa’ and Cambridge-based ‘Fauna & Flora International’. Subsequently, he restored UNEP-WCMC’s fortunes, reinstating its reputation as a global leader in the synthesis and assessment of biodiversity. The Centre was insolvent when he was appointed, but enjoyed assets of more than US$8 million at the end of his ten year tenure.
While Jon is best known in recent times for his leadership and management roles, he has strong academic qualifications and interests. He has produced 50 peer-reviewed papers and book chapters as well as dozens of reports and conference proceedings. In recognition of this, Jon was elected Professor of Sustainable Resource Management at the University of Kent in 2007 and a by-Fellow of Hughes Hall (Cambridge) in 2017.
Marion Atieno Osieyo is an environmental leader and founder of . Her work focuses on the social dimensions of nature conservation and how to foster an intersectional, interspecies and inter-generational movement for nature. She has worked with a number of organisations including the World Wildlife Fund for Nature (WWF) where she served as the Head of Inclusive Conservation and Advisor to the Global Conservation Director. At WWF, she also established and led a global innovation network to embed the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in WWF's global nature conservation strategy and operations.
In 2023, Marion launched the award winning Black Earth podcast which is an interview podcast celebrating nature and black women leaders in the environmental movement. Her work has been recognised by outlets such as Spotify US, Guardian, Resurgence and by organisations including the United Nations.
Marion’s impact as an environmental leader has been recognised through the following awards and recognitions:
- Climate Justice Pioneer, Mayor of London (2023)
- Silver Award, Best New Podcast, British Podcast Awards (2023)
- ‘Good Practice on SDGs implementation’ for leading the WWF SDG Hub, United Nations (2021)
- ‘Integrity’ Award for facilitating three culture change initiatives for diversity, equity and inclusion, WWF Legend Awards (2020)
- Future Leader of International Co-operation and Development, European Commission (2015)
Marion Atieno Osieyo is an alumna of Oxford University graduating with a Masters of Science in Global Governance and Diplomacy.
