Speakers
Development Director
National Parks Partnerships
[ Hover for Bio ]
David is a Chartered Marketer with over 20 years of experience in marketing and partnerships across the environment, sport, and tourism sectors.
As Development Director for NPP, he creates strategic partnerships for the UK’s 15 National Parks to drive nature recovery, education, and community well-being. He manages a high-profile corporate portfolio including BMW UK, Howdens, and Sykes Holiday Cottages.
His previous experience includes serving as Development Director for the National Forest, where he oversaw the planting of nine million trees and brokered partnerships with Meta and Aardman.
Earlier in his career, as Director of Partnerships at British Cycling, David was pivotal in delivering the London 2012 Olympic legacy, launching mass participation programs that inspired 1.7 million people to cycle.
Sustainability & Responsible Banking Senior Manager
Santander
[ Hover for Bio ]
Oliver Breen is a Senior Manager in Santander UK’s Sustainability & Responsible Banking Team.
He leads the bank's Climate Strategy with a focus on how we can support our customers with the transition to net zero and enable them to adapt to a changing climate.
While at Santander UK he has completed the assessment of over 90% of the Bank’s estimated emissions profile and implemented an offsetting framework to support our operational emissions targets.
Before joining Santander UK Oliver was responsible for implementing consideration of Climate Risk at Nationwide Building Society and has previously worked across multiple parts of the financial services industry in a variety of Credit, Operational and Enterprise Risk roles.
Director, UK Nature
Palladium
[ Hover for Bio ]
Naomi has over 25 years' experience in creating and leading purpose-led partnerships, across sectors ranging from the arts to charity and more recently, environment.
Prior to joining Palladium, Naomi was Director of National Parks Partnerships and helped to establish Revere, the collaboration between Palladium and the UK National Parks.
In the emerging world of nature finance, her entrepreneurial spirit combined with a deep understanding of the needs of NGOs means she can deploy her expertise to add value to complex cross-sector collaborations.
Minister for Nature
Video Presentation
Hover for Bio
Mary Creagh was appointed Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State at the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs on 18 July 2024.
She was elected as the MP for Coventry East in July 2024.
Director
Landscape Observatory
[ Hover for Bio ]
Simon Geikie is the Director of the Landscape Observatory, where he leads a Defra-funded initiative to enhance climate adaptation and monitoring across the UK’s National Parks and National Landscapes.
With a background in Marine and Freshwater Biology and Ecology, Simon brings over 30 years of experience in conservation and adaptive management to the role.
His career includes diverse wildlife conservation roles in urban and fringe landscapes. In 2011, he joined the Peak District National Park Authority, leading the application of adaptive management principles and developing a critical Climate Change Vulnerability Assessment.
Since 2022, Simon has led the Landscape Observatory for all Protected Landscapes, utilising data-led and climate-smart approaches to build resilient environments at scale.
Senior Culm Catchment Officer
National Landscapes Association
[ Hover for Bio ]
Lucy has been working with the Connecting the Culm project as Senior Culm Catchment Officer for 4 years, working to improve climate resilience and water management across the Culm catchment in Devon.
Her role focuses on delivering nature-based solutions, engaging landowners and communities, and developing innovative approaches to flood and drought resilience.
Previously, Lucy worked on the Farming in Protected Landscapes programme and at Natural England, bringing experience in conservation, land management, and stakeholder collaboration.
Chief Executive
National Parks Partnerships
[ Hover for Bio ]
Catherine Hawkins is the CEO of National Parks Partnerships (NPP), leading the organization’s efforts to secure responsible private investment for the UK’s 15 National Parks.
Since 2016, she has established major collaborations with brands like Santander UK and VodafoneThree. Catherine brings 25 years of commercial strategy experience, having transitioned from NPP Board Chair to CEO in early 2026.
Beyond NPP, she founded Think!Sponsorship, a leading consultancy that has advised organizations such as English Heritage and the Royal College of Nursing. One of only six ESA Fellows, she is a recognized global leader in sponsorship training and accreditation.
Catherine also serves as a Trustee for Essex Wildlife Trust, a co-founder of Women in Sponsorship, and a judge for the UK Sponsorship Awards.
Director
Landscape Observatory
[ Hover for Bio ]
Nick leads the South Downs’ multi-disciplinary teams delivering landscape-scale nature recovery programmes across the UK’s third largest and most populous National Park.
Born and raised in the South Downs, Nick has over 30 years of senior experience working with the National Trust, Forestry Commission, and designated landscapes across Cornwall, Wales, and the Wye Valley.
A recognised leader in forestry, sustainability and natural capital, Nick co-founded the South Downs ReNature Credits initiative, establishing the National Park as a national exemplar in Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG), Nitrate Credits, and Voluntary Biodiversity Credits.
His work integrates habitat restoration, compliance assurance, and private finance to unlock investment for impactful, long-term nature recovery.
Head of Development
National Parks Partnerships
[ Hover for Bio ]
Lisa Sensier is Head of Development at National Parks Partnerships (NPP), creating strategic national partnerships between the commercial sector and the UK National Parks.
In her time at NPP, she has supported the development of a major nature restoration initiative ‘Revere’ as well as securing and delivering impactful partnerships with BMW UK, Santander UK, VodafoneThree, Estée Lauder Companies UK & Ireland and Pearl & Dean.
Lisa has over 20 years’ experience in partnership development across organisations including Historic Royal Palaces, Royal Museums Greenwich and English National Ballet.
In September 2025, Lisa joined the steering committee of Coastal Wildbelt, a national initiative which champions both nature and the people who share England’s coastline.
Chief Executive
National Landscapes Association
[ Hover for Bio ]
John Watkins has been at the helm of the National Landscapes Association since 2021, leading the landmark 2023 rebranding of Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONBs) to National Landscapes, a move that united the network under a single identity.
The rebrand was widely praised for providing clarity, raising the profile of these vital places and reinforcing their national importance in driving nature recovery, climate action, and public health and well-being.
He is an advocate for diversity and inclusion. He launched Nature Calling, a nationwide arts initiative designed to bring new, diverse voices into the environmental movement. By integrating art, culture, and conservation, he wishes to strengthen the connection between people and the National Landscapes.
Head of Nature-based Solutions
National Landscapes Association
[ Hover for Bio ]
As Head of Nature-Based Solutions at the National Landscapes Association, Hannah leads the development and implementation of the Green Funding and Finance Strategy across the UK’s protected landscapes.
She is a prominent advocate for integrating nature-based solutions into landscape management, ensuring ecological restoration is supported by sustainable funding mechanisms.
Hannah possesses extensive experience in managing large-scale nature restoration projects, providing both strategic insight and practical expertise to the field of nature recovery. Her work focuses on reconnecting people with the environment and building resilient landscapes that offer environmental, social, and economic benefits.
Dedicated to preserving the natural world for future generations, she champions innovative approaches that align conservation goals with robust financial models to ensure long-term sustainability.
Director of Growth and Organisational Development
South Downs National Park
[ Hover for Bio ]
James focuses on diversifying income streams for the National Park Authority, blending public, private, and philanthropic revenue to increase organisational resilience and impact.
As Chair of the Nature-based Solutions Board, he is a leading advocate for green finance, positioning the South Downs as a hub for corporate investment in biodiversity schemes.
A pioneer in charitable growth, James helped establish and lead The South Downs Trust, scaling it from inception to a £2m organisation—one of the UK’s largest National Park charities. With over 20 years of cross-sector experience, he also champions the National Park’s role in regional devolution and local government re-organisation, ensuring protected landscapes are central to net-zero and biodiversity targets.
James further contributes to the sector as a trustee for the UK National Parks Foundation and the Hampshire Cultural Trust.
Project Director, Connecting the Culm
National Landscapes Association
[ Hover for Bio ]
Tim has been with the Blackdown Hills National Landscape Partnership for 8 years, managing a small team of 10 people who undertake nature, climate, people and place activity across the 370 km2 landscape on the Devon/ Somerset border.
As part of this role, Tim is Project Director for Connecting the Culm. Previously, Tim worked for Somerset Wildlife Trust, the RSPB and Defra.