Marco Lambertini is Director General at WWF International, the truly global organisation founded in 1961 who works to build a future where people and nature live in harmony. WWF network operates in over 100 countries with over 5,000 staff and 5 million supporters. Marco was born with a strong fascination for wildlife and at a very young age was a volunteer conservation leader in local and national conservation NGOs in Italy. At 16 was the coordinator of his home town conservation volunteers. Marco has since conducted extensive field research, co-ordinated nationwide and international conservation awareness campaigns, developed pioneering ecotourism ventures, managed private nature reserves, lobbied for national and international environmental legislation, directed local, national and international NGOs, developed social enterprises and community based initiatives, and engaged with international conventions on biodiversity and sustainability. Marco has authored several scientific and popular publications, including “A Naturalist’s guide to the Tropics” (Chicago University Press) and “Safari in Africa” (Muzzio). The conservation achievements he is most proud of include: - Large-scale changes of attitudes and practices towards wildlife in Italy; - Lead role in the establishment of the Tuscan Archipelago National Park, the largest marine protected area in Europe; - Lead role in the Harapan Rainforest initiative in Sumatra, the world’s first large-scale forest restoration concession; - Supporting the development of truly indigenous conservation organisations in key countries like Brazil, Indonesia, Madagascar.