# About


## Who we are

Friends of Ocean Action is a unique, informal group of global ocean leaders fast-tracking solutions to the most pressing challenges facing the ocean. Its members — the Friends — come from business, government, civil society, international organizations, science and technology.

[Who We Are](https://initiatives.weforum.org/friends-of-ocean-action-1/who-we-are)


## We have the knowledge, power and technology to put the ocean on a path to recovery. The ocean’s power of regeneration is remarkable, if we just offer it the chance.


## Impact of our community

A look at the initiatives and collaborations that have helped turn ocean ambition into lasting momentum.


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## Co-Chairs

Guiding collective leadership for the future of the ocean.


## Members

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### Friends of Ocean Action members

Achim Steiner, Administrator, United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)Aimee Gonzales, Executive Director, Partnerships in Environmental Management for the Seas of East Asia (PEMSEA)H.S.H. Prince Albert II of Monaco, Prince of MonacoAna Spalding, Centre Director Community-Based Resilience Solutions Initiative, Smithsonian, PanamaAndrew Forrest, Chairman, Minderoo FoundationAndrew Steer, President, Bezos Earth FundAngélique Pouponneau, Chief of Staff, United Nations Climate Action TeamAnna Marsden, Managing Director, Great Barrier Reef FoundationÀrni Mathiesen, Senior Adviser, Iceland Ocean Cluster; Chairman of the Board, Better TransportAsha de Vos, Founder and Executive Director, OceanswellAstrid Schomaker, Executive Secretary, Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD)Atsushi Sunami, President, Sasakawa Peace Foundation and Ocean Policy Research InstituteBarkha Mossae, Regenerative Blue Economy, International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN)Carlos Duarte, Director, Coral Research and Development Accelerator Platform, King Abdullah University of Science and TechnologyCarlos Manuel Rodríguez Echandi, CEO and Chair, Global Environment Facility (GEF)Charles Fox, Executive Director, Oceans 5Charles Goddard, Editorial Director and Executive Director of World Ocean Initiative, The Economist GroupCherie Nursalim, Vice-Chairman, GITI GroupChris Gorell Barnes, Founder, Ocean 14 CapitalClaes Berglund, Director, Public Affairs and Sustainability, StenaCristian Sampier, Managing Director and Leader of Nature Solutions, Bezos Earth FundCristina "Mitty" Mittermeier, Co-Founder, SeaLegacy, MexicoCynthia Barzuna, Director, Ocean Action 2030 Coalition, World Resources InstituteDaniela V. Fernandez, Founder & CEO of VELAMARDanny Faure, Former President of the Seychelles and African Union Champion on the Blue EconomyDavid Obura, Chair, IPBES; Founding Director, Coastal Oceans Research and Development in the Indian Ocean (CORDIO)David Osborn, Director of the Marine Environment Division, International Maritime OrganizationDiva Amon, Scientific Advisor, Benioff Ocean Science Laboratory; Founder and Director, SpeSeasDona Bertarelli, Co-Chair, Bertarelli FoundationDouglas McCauley, Professor, University of California Santa Barbara; Director, Benioff Ocean Science LaboratoryElizabeth Cousens, President and CEO of the United Nations FoundationGina Grillo, Ambassador for the Ocean and Environment, Costa RicaGUO Jingjing, Olympic diving champion; Ambassador, Key Connect; Ocean Program Director, Global Green Technology Center (GGTC)Ilana Seid, Permanent Representative of PalauInger Andersen, Executive Director, UN Environment ProgrammeIngrid Reumert, SVP, Global Stakeholder Relations, OrstedJan-Gunnar Winther, Pro-Rector, Research and Development at UiT The Arctic University of NorwayJennifer Morris, CEO, The Nature ConservancyJim Leape, Co-Director, Center for Ocean Solutions, Stanford UniversityJørgen J. Lund, Co-Founder and Board Member, Iceland Aquaculture and Oceans Forum (IAOF)Julie Packard, Executive Director, Monterey Bay AquariumJulio Cordano, Director of Environment, Climate Change and Ocean, Chilean Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and Co-Facilitator, UNFCCC Ocean and Climate Change DialogueJyotika Virmani, Executive Director, Schmidt Ocean InstituteKaren Sack, Executive Director, Ocean Risk and Resilience Action Alliance (ORRAA)Katherine Garrett-Cox, CEO, Gulf International Bank (GIB) Asset Management, UKKathlyn Tan, Director of Philanthropy, Rumah Group, SingaporeKerstin S. Forsberg, Co-Founder and Director, Planeta OcéanoKhaled Asfahani, Co-chair, International Coral Reef Initiative (ICRI)Kilaparti Ramakrishna, Board member, Seabed 2030Kimberly Mathisen, CEO, HUB OceanKirsten Schuijt, Director-General, WWF InternationalKristian Teleki, CEO, Fauna & FloraLasse Gustavsson, CEO, Ocean WiseLI Jianping, Dean, Academy of Future Ocean and Innovation, Ocean University of ChinaLoreley Picourt, Executive Director, Ocean & Climate PlatformM. Sanjayan, CEO, Conservation InternationalMarc R. Benioff, Chairman and CEO, SalesforceMarco Lambertini, Convener, Nature Positive InitiativeMaria Damanaki, Co-Founder of Leading Women for the Ocean; senior advisor on ocean, climate change and blue economyMaria Helena Semedo, Former Deputy Director General, Food and Agriculture Organization, Cape VerdeMartha Rojas Urrego, Executive Secretary, International Whaling Commission, ColombiaMinna Epps, Director, Global Marine and Polar Programme, International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN)Naoko Ishii, Professor and Director, Center for Global Commons, University of TokyoNina Jensen, CEO, REV OceanPascal Lamy, President Emeritus, Jacques Delors InstitutePatricia Ricard, President, Institut Océanique Paul RicardPeter de Menocal, President and Director, Woods Hole Oceanographic InstitutionQIAO Fangli, Deputy Director, First Institute of OceanographyRashid Sumaila, Director, Fisheries Economics Research Unit, University of British ColumbiaRazan Al Mubarak, President, International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN); Managing Director, Mohamed bin Zayed Species Conservation FundHRH Princess Reema Bandar Al-Saud, Founder, WAVE, Saudi ArabiaRichard Brisius, Race Chairman, The Ocean RaceRolly van Rappard, Co-Founder and Co-Chair, CVCRupert Howes, CEO, Marine Stewardship Council (MSC)Rym Benzina, Chairwoman of La Saison Bleue, Forum Mondial de la Mer Bizerte and Blue Africa Summit Tangier, TunisiaSanda Ojiambo, CEO and Executive Director, UN Global CompactSantiago Wills, Director, Council and Trade Negotiations Committee Division, World Trade OrganizationSerge Raemakers, Chief Executive Officer, ABALOBI, South AfricaShen Guojun, Founder and Chairman of Yintai Group; Board Member of The Paradise International FoundationStephen Widdicombe, Director of Science and Deputy Chief Executive, Plymouth Marine LaboratorySU Jilan, Professor of Oceanography, Academician, Chinese Academy of SciencesSusan Gardner, Director of the Ecosystems Division, United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP)Sylvia Earle, President and Chairman, Mission BlueTatsuro Watanabe, Managing Executive Director, Mitsui O.S.K. LinesThomas Thune Andersen, Chairman, Lloyd’s Register, United KingdomTiago Pitta e Cunha, CEO, Oceano Azul FoundationTony Long, CEO, Global Fishing WatchVictoria Attwood Scott, Global Head, Corporate Responsibility and Compliance, Mercuria Energy Group Holding SAVidar Helgesen, Executive Secretary of the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission of UNESCO, NorwayWakao Hanaoka, Founder and CEO, Seafood LegacyWANG Songlin, Founder and President, Qingdao Marine Conservation SocietyWendy Watson-Wright, Chair, UN Joint Group of Experts on the Scientific Aspects of Marine Environmental Protection (GESAMP)Zac Goldsmith, Former Minister of State for Overseas Territories, Commonwealth, Energy, Climate and Environment, House of Lords, UK


### The future of the ocean will be shaped by the leadership of this generation.

Connect with us and help lead collective action for a healthy and resilient ocean.

[Get involved](https://initiatives.weforum.org/api/communities/v1/public/initiatives/site/page-redirect?initiative_id=e68425d2-46f5-433f-bfd5-cfe66a9aa454&page_id=fc15df96-3de8-4e04-b46a-3c7428dd28de)