Julian is an environmental social scientist with over 25 years’ experience in applied conservation, with a particular focus on how local and Indigenous communities in rural and remote areas are impacted by resource management and development. Julian holds a BSc and PhD and has worked in academia in the UK and Australia. He has conducted field research in Indonesia, Malaysia, Burma, Australia, Latin America, the Western Indian Ocean and the UK, with over 60 published academic papers and numerous reports and book chapters. He has collaborated with fellow academics, NGOs, government and the private sector throughout his research career. Julian initiated the Fair Credits Standard as a means for rights holders to fully participate in developing and biodiversity credit schemes in order to promote and sustain local livelihoods and communities.

Kathleen studied landscape ecology and conservation with a focus on environmental policy instruments and international conservation. She has over 20 years' experience in a range of conservation-related issues, including human-wildlife conflict, environmental change and adaptive management, and the use of behavioural change techniques to promote sustainable use of natural resources. Kathleen holds a Diploma and PhD and has worked in academia, NGOs and foundations. She has conducted field research with farmers and fishers in Vietnam, Indonesia, Australia and Germany and has a particular interest in co-designing policies and policy instruments. Kathleen is also a politician and a member of her home town's local and county councils.

Mark is a development geographer who specialises in socio-economic development impacts (particularly coastal and island tourism) focussing on sustainable tourism for local community development and poverty alleviation. He has extensive field experience for over 25 years in several ASEAN countries (Indonesia, Malaysia, Vietnam, Burma, Thailand), the Caribbean, and the Indian and Southern Atlantic Oceans. Mark has led projects funded by the World Bank, the Commonwealth Secretariat, Swiss overseas aid, the Ministry of Tourism Malaysia, British Academy, British Council and the UK’s Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office. Mark produces policy-relevant research, and his work is highly cited with more than 60 journal articles published in leading international development journals and book chapters, and he has written/edited four books.

Chloe is a marine conservationist, sustainable tourism development expert, and social science researcher with experience leading conservation and development projects globally. As a Boren and Fulbright Scholar, she researched tourism's role in driving social and ecological resilience in Indonesia and Timor-Leste. Chloe is Director of Stewardship for Solimar International, overseeing USAID-funded projects utilizing tourism as a catalyst for conservation and regeneration in destinations on the frontlines of climate change, including Bangladesh and the Maldives. As a 2020 Marshall Scholar, she obtained an MSc Marine Systems and Policy from the University of Edinburgh and an MPhil in Conservation Leadership from the University of Cambridge, researching more effective methods for valuing and financing marine ecosystems to enable locally driven conservation projects. Chloe is currently undertaking a PhD the University of Cambridge, researching regenerative pathways for managing tourism growth in the Galápagos Islands, Ecuador.

Julia has a background in environmental and social sciences and holds a BSc, MSc and PhD. She is an active interdisciplinary researcher and academic with extensive experience in South-East Asia, sub-Saharan Africa and Small Island Developing States. Julia typically works with local and indigenous communities, business owners, governments, and international organisations and is interested in equitable and inclusive forms of tourism development in places with strong socio-ecological traditions. These include in tropical coasts, islands and forests. She has published numerous academic papers, co-authored a book, and presented her work at international conferences, and collaborated with academics and local NGOs in the UK, Vietnam, Myanmar, Malaysia, Seychelles and Cameroon.

Juliane is a Senior Lecturer in Events & Tourism at the University of Greenwich. Her research experiences and interests lie within the socio-economic impacts of small-scale tourism, such as backpacker tourism. For example, she has researched how tourism SMEs can contribute to Inclusive Growth in rural communities in Colombia. She is well-versed in qualitative research, using ethnography and interviews, but also more creative methods such as LEGO Serious Play. Juliane speaks English and German at native proficiency, and Spanish at a professional working level.