ANDREA SUAREZ - Coordinator of Water Resources Centre for Central America and the Caribbean, Costa RicaHer background is in biology and natural resources management, and she holds a Ph.D. on inland river ecosystems (University of Barcelona and Institute for Research and Food Technology, Spain). She is the general coordinator of the Water Resources Centre for Central America and the Caribbean (HIDROCEC) at the National University of Costa Rica, a centre focused on water quality, watershed management and treatment of wastewater.

ALDO RAMÍREZ - Research Professor, Water Centre for Latin America and the Caribbean

He holds a Ph.D. in Hydrology and has extensive experience in the both the public and private water sectors. He has 25 years of academic experience and nearly 20 in research, technological development, and consulting. He has 70 publications and has authored three books. He received the Mexican award for Hydraulic Research in 2010.

ANIA GROBICKI - Executive Secretary, Global Water Partnership, (GWP)She has extensive experience related to water in terms of industry, agriculture, energy, supply, reuse, quality, health and others. Prior to joining GWP, she was Head Secretariat at WHO for strengthening research for health, development, and equity. She holds a Chemical Engineering degree from the University of Cape Town and in Economics from the University of South Africa, as wwll as a PhD in Biotechnology from the Imperial College.

CARLO GALLI - Strategic and Technical Advisor for Water Resources, NestléSince 1991, he started his journey in the bottled water business. Currently, he is responsible for the improvement of water resources management practices in Nestlé Operations and in the agriculture raw material supply chain, developing corporate strategy and projects aimed to minimize the threat on long term water and agriculture raw material availability. He is also Vice-Chairman of the Sustainable Agricultural Initiative (SAI).

ANDREA LEONE - Project and Research Manager, Joint Research Centre, European Commission

Dr. Andrea Leone works as project and research manager for the Joint Research Centre (JRC) of the European Commission. He holds a Ph.D. in Water Resources Management from the University of Liverpool, a MSc in Innovation and New Technologies Management and a MSc + BEng in Environmental and Civil Engineering in Italy. He has 10 years experience in international cooperation in water resources development and environmental management.

CRHISTIAN BENUCCI - Agribusiness Coordinator, PepsiCo, ChileCrhistian is an agronomist from the University of Chile and MBA from Universidad Adolfo Ibañez, Chile. He specialises in forced crops and field crops for agribusiness. Leader in innovation in agricultural sustainability for PepsiCo, focusing on good agricultural practices, development of environmentally friendly production systems, and community activities.

COLIN HERRON - Advisor on Strategic Projects / Focal Point for Water and Climate Change, National Water Commission of Mexico (CONAGUA)

Currently an advisor on strategic projects and focal point for water and climate change in the National Water Commission of Mexico, he has been involved in water issues for 12 years, serving in the World Water Council and as an advisor for the governments of Japan, Mexico and Turkey, as well as the World Bank and the World Meteorological Organization.

FELIPE QUISPE - Minister of Environment and Water, BoliviaHe is an attorney, graduate of the Universidad Mayor de San Andres, specializing in criminal law and administrative law. He served as Deputy Minister of Water and Sanitation of Bolivia. He was proposed by the Trade Union Confederation of Peasant Workers of Bolivia to fill the Ministry of Environment and Water.

FELIPE CARAZO - Conservation Strategies Manager and Climate Change Lead, Mexico & Northern Central America, The Nature Conservancy (TNC)

With over 15 years of environmental strategy and policy expertise, he provides leadership, strategic thinking, technical advice, facilitation, and priority setting support to TNC’s technical teams for freshwater conservation, climate change threat and vulnerability abatement, protected areas, productive and sustainable working seas and landscapes, and partnership/capacity building. He holds a Master’s Degree in environmental management with a concentration on resource economics and policy from Duke University.

GONZÁLO LEÓN - Environmental Advisor of Water and Environment, Fundación ChileHe has 14 years of professional experience in the environmental field, being involved in environmental standards, policies, and plan elaboration for the government; environmental impact assessment; natural resources management; among others. In 2011, he was the adaptation officer at the Climate Change Office of the Ministry of Environment. He holds an MBA-Environment from the University of Twente, The Netherlands, plus additional studies and training in Spain, Japan, Sweden, Costa Rica, Guatemala, and Belgium.

JOSÉ GRAZIANO DA SILVA - Director General, Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO)He is an American-born Brazilian agronomist and writer. As a scholar, he has authored several books about Brazil’s agricultural situation. He served as Extraordinary Minister for Food Security in Brazil, being responsible for the Fome Zero program in 2003 and 2004. He holds an MBA by the University of São Paulo, a PhD from Campinas State University and Post-Doctorate Degree from the University of California, Berkeley and the University of London.

PROFESSOR JOHN ANTHONY ALLAN - King’s College London and the School of Oriental and African Studies With a base in environmental science, he is an internationally expert in water resources and political economy of water policy and reforms. He has pioneered the development of key concepts in the understanding and communication of water issues and how they are linked to agriculture, climate change, economics, and politics. In 2008, he was named Stockholm Water Prize Laureate.

JOSÉ LUIS LUEGE - Director General, National Water Commission of Mexico (CONAGUA)He is Director General of CONAGUA since December 2006. Minister of the Environment and Natural Resources from June 2005 to November 2006. Previously Federal Attorney for the Protection of the Environment, from September 2003 to June 2005. From 1988 to 1991, he was Member of the House of Representatives, and participated in the Ecology, Industry, Commerce and Mexico City Commissions.

GREGORY J. KOCH - Managing Director, Global Water Stewardship Environment & Water Resources The Coca-Cola Company

With over 20 years of experience in the environmental and engineering fields, he currently addresses the assessment and mitigation of water risks, gives strategic direction and supports plant performance, technologies, engagement, communication, watershed protection, water policy, and key partnerships. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Mathematics from Columbus College and a Bachelor and M.S. in Civil Engineering from the Georgia Institute of Technology.

JÜRGEN MAHLKNECHT - Director, Water Centre for Latin America and the CaribbeanHe is the Director of the Water Centre for Latin America and the Caribbean and holder of the Sustainable Water Use Chair at Tecnológico de Monterrey. He is author of articles in groundwater resources management, geochemistry and isotope hydrology. He has been awarded with the Dr.Karl-Schleinzer Price, the Eternit-Tiefbau grant, and is member of the Mexican National Researcher System.

MAUREEN BALLESTERO - President, Global Water Partnership, Costa Rica (GWP)She is an Agricultural Engineer, specialized in Agricultural Economics and a Master’s Degree in Business Administration. She is an international consultant for the Inter-American Development Bank, World Bank, United Nations Program for Environment, among others. She coordinated the regional targets of the Americas during the Sixth World Water Forum. She is a former Congresswoman of Costa Rica, Vice President of the Congress, and Chair of the Environmental Commission.

PATRICIA AQUING - Executive Director, Caribbean Environmental Health Institute (CEHI)She is responsible for the development and coordination of CEHI’s programmes, among others. She also represents CEHI in some regional and international fora. Prior, she worked at the International Labour Organisation (ILO) for almost thirteen years. She received the Bachelor of Arts Degree in Language and Linguistics from the University of the West Indies and Post-Graduate Diploma in Information Studies at the UWI at Mona, Jamaica.

OSCAR LARA - Mexican Congressman, Chair of the Water Resources CommitteeHe was a Banker for over20 years and Finance Manager for the State of Sinaloa for 10 years. Currently, he is representative of the Partido Revolucionario Institucional (PRI) as Congressman of the Seventh District of Sinaloa. He also chairs the Water Resources Committee in the House of Representatives of the Mexican Congress.

RÓGER MADRIGAL - Research Fellow, Tropical Agricultural Research and Higher Education Center (CATIE)His fields of specialization are in the areas of community-based adaptation to climate change and institutional analysis of water policies. He currently coordinates the project “Strengthening Research Capacity in Environmental Economics for Adaptation to Climate Change in Latin America and the Caribbean”, supported by IDRC.

ROLANDO MARÍN - Coordinator of Latin American Confederation of Community Organizations for Water and Sanitation Services, (CLOCSAS)

He is an expert in teaching, training, research, and consultancy in Sustainable Development. Since 2005, he has had extensive experience in Community Water Management, both within the community and through the direction of UNAGUAS (Union of Communal Water Supply), COFORSA (Commission to Strengthen Communal Water Supply) in Costa Rica, and CLOCSAS. He holds a Master’s Degree in Regional Development from the University of Quebec.

WILLIAM SARNI - Director and Practice Leader, Enterprise Water Strategy | Sustainability and Climate Change, Deloitte Consulting LLP

For over 30 years, he has provided sustainability, environmental, and hydrogeological consulting services to the private and public sectors, with a focus on corporate-wide sustainability strategies, as well as climate and water programs. He is a frequent speaker at conferences and a columnist for Harvard Business Publishing’s “Leading Green,” The Guardian, and Venture. He is author of “Greening Brownfields: Remediation Through Sustainable Development (McGraw Hill) and Corporate Water Strategies” (Earthscan).

WALTER LOPEZ BAEZ - Programme Researcher, National Institute of Forestry, Agriculture and Livestock Research (INIFAP)

He is an Agronomist with a Master’s Degree in Integrated Water Resources Management. He is researcher for INIFAP in watershed management. He currently develops projects about food security, social capital in watersheds management, ecosystem services, and conservation agriculture for mitigation and adaptation to climate change.

SERGIO SOTO - PRIANTE - Deputy Director General for Irrigation Infrastructure, CONAGUAHe is a Biochemical Engineer who has served in various capacities in the Mexican Government since 2001. In 2006, he was appointed representative in the UN Committee for Social Development. He was head of the international relations of the Mexican Confederation of Employers (COPARMEX) and Secretary General of the Mexican chapter of the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC). He has published several articles and holds a graduate degree in food engineering and Master’s Degree from the Tecnológico de Monterrey.

SUAT IRMAK - Interim Director, Nebraska Water Center, Robert B. Daugherty Water for Food Institute and Professor of Biological Systems Engineering, University of Nebraska–Lincoln

He is a leading expert in research, extension, and educational programs around the application of engineering and scientific fundamentals in soil and water resources, irrigation, crop water productivity, evapotranspiration, and other surface energy fluxes for agro-ecosystems; as well as impact of changes in climate variables on water resources and productivity. His awards and honors include 38 national, international, regional and local awards and recognitions.

VIDAL GARZA - Director, FEMSA FoundationHe is Director of FEMSA Foundation since 2008. Additionally, he is a public policy and economics professor at Tecnológico de Monterrey since 1999. Garza was Founder of the Public Administration and Public Policy Graduate School (EGAP) at Tecnológico de Monterrey. He has an M.A. in Public Policy at Harvard’s John F. Kennedy School of Government and a Ph.D. in Public Policy at the University of Texas at Austin.