Meet the 2019 Ocean Talks Speakers

Richard Vevers

Founder & CEO, The Ocean Agency

Richard Vevers is the Founder and Chief Executive Officer of The Ocean Agency, an unconventional non-profit that uses the combination of creativity, technology and powerful partnerships to accelerate ocean science and conservation action. Prior to joining the field of ocean conservation, Vevers worked at some of the top London advertising agencies, and it is this background that allows him to bring a new approach to ocean conservation.

His ideas have included: taking Google Street View underwater, funding a global survey of coral reefs through a sports sponsorship model (XL Catlin Seaview Survey), revealing the coral reef crisis in the Emmy Award-winning Netflix Original Documentary Chasing Coral, and marketing a plan to save coral reefs called 50 Reefs. Together, these ideas alone have generated over $400 million in media value and over $100 million in funding for ocean science and conservation.

Frederikke Magnussen

Co-founder, A Plastic Planet and Ocean Family Foundation

Frederikke Magnussen is the Co-founder of A Plastic Planet (APP) and Ocean Family Foundation (OFF). Frederikke left Denmark at an early age to pursue a career in fashion, living in Paris, Australia and New York. She studied Psychology at NYU and Birkbeck, exploring her passion for helping others, setting up ‘Being Human’ wilderness retreats to reconnect stressed people with nature, alongside Sille Lundquist.

During the mid-2000s, Frederikke became aware of the growing problem of plastic pollution in our ocean, during a screening of the first documentary feature on ocean pollution – A Plastic Ocean in which she played a role in the making. During the film launch Frederikke joined forces with Sian Sutherland to create the first APP campaign that asked supermarkets to give their customers choice by providing Plastic Free Aisles. After 12 months of extensive pressure on the food and drink industry, support from Theresa May as part of her 2025 Environmental Plan and considerable media coverage, the world’s first Plastic Free Aisle was launched; a symbol of possible change for the world. APP have this year alone opened another supermarket in London as a living lab to show that change can happen today with new innovations.

Privately, Frederikke and her husband have set up Ocean Family Foundation (OFF) with two other families who are passionate about conservation and education to protect the oceans the families share and love.

Rob McCallum

Co-founder and Expedition Leader, EYOS Expeditions

Seattle-based New Zealander Rob McCallum is the Co-founder and Expedition Leader of EYOS Expeditions and is regarded as the foremost provider of expedition services to the superyacht industry and holder of several world records. The team at EYOS Expeditions have lead over 1200 expeditions for private clients, scientists and film makers (often with all three groups combined) to the most pristine and challenging destinations on Earth.

Rob is presently managing The Five Deeps Expedition as the primary mission planner and as the Expedition Leader for each of the expeditions 10 dive projects. He has led multiple expeditions to Titanic (4000m), Bismarck (5000m) and helped with the design and management of many complex deep-water expeditions, including the search for AF 447 and James Cameron’s dive to the Mariana Trench in Deep Challenger.

Rob managed the refit of RV Nadir into MV Alucia, where his experience with the science, film-making and private adventure was able to be combined and infused into Alucia’s design. This experience lead EYOS Expeditions to be selected as the design partner for Damen Shipyards ‘SeaXplorer’ range of expedition yachts. These yachts continue the theme of enabling luxury yacht owners' full global access and the ability to support science, film making and private adventure.

Rob is a licensed aircraft pilot, a PADI Dive Master, a longtime member of the Explorers Club (NY) and a Fellow of the Royal Geographical Society in London.

Dr Alan Jamieson

Chief Scientist, The Five Deeps Expedition and Senior Lecturer, Deep-sea Biology, Newcastle University

Doctor Alan Jamieson is the Chief Scientist on The Five Deeps Expedition and a senior lecturer in deep-sea biology at Newcastle University, UK. His research has made him a world leader in the biological exploration of the hadal zone (depths exceeding 6000m). He has designed multiple Hadal-Landers and has deployed them over 250 times in the ultra-deep subduction trenches of the Pacific Ocean and surrounding areas. Dr Jamieson has participated in, and often led, over 55 deep-sea expeditions covering every ocean. He has published over 80 scientific papers and sole authored the book 'The Hadal Zone, life in the deepest oceans', in 2015.

Highlights of his work include filming the deepest fish in the world, discovering supergiant amphipods in the hadal zone and a hadal species being named after him. He has also filmed in the deepest places on Earth; the Sirena Deep and Challenger Deep in the Mariana Trench. His work has featured in the BBCs Blue Planet II, and NHKs Deep Ocean, Descent into the Mariana Trench documentaries, and his discoveries have received extensive international media coverage. Dr Jamieson is also a fellow of the Royal Geographical Society.

Matthieu Rytz

Visual Storyteller, ARKAR

Matthieu Rytz is a producer, curator, photographer and director. A visual anthropologist by training, his passion for photography and ethnology has led him across the globe to photograph cultural and human diversity over the past ten years. His photographs, as well as those he has commissioned, have been exhibited internationally.

He strives to bear witness to complex human stories and focus especially on the relationship between Man and Nature. He specialises in photographic installation and is currently working on a multidisciplinary project using film, still images and virtual reality - whatever best serves the story.

He recently produced, filmed and directed his first feature film, Anote’s Ark, a documentary dealing with the realities of climate justice and migration. It premiered at Sundance 2018.

Matthieu was born in Switzerland and is now a digital nomad and can be followed at rytz.co

Dr Madhavi Colton

Programme Director, Coral Reef Alliance

As Programme Director at the Coral Reef Alliance, Dr Madhavi Colton oversees an international portfolio of community-driven conservation programmes that are addressing local threats to reefs, including overfishing, land-based pollution and unsustainable tourism. Dr Colton is also spearheading new scientific research into how ecosystems adapt to the effects of climate change. This knowledge can then be applied to develop innovative approaches to coral conservation that can be replicated globally.

Her most recent paper, “Conservation plans that prioritise diversity can leverage evolution to adapt to climate change” (currently in review) analyses the results from a multi-year research project that used a powerful mathematical model to simulate different future scenarios for coral reefs, identifying the types of management networks that best facilitate coral adaptation.

Dr Colton’s expertise lies in building partnerships between academic researchers, conservation organisations, governments and local communities to implement durable solutions to conservation. She has worked in California, Hawaii, the Mesoamerican region, Indonesia, Fiji and Australia and has a Ph.D. in Marine Ecology from the University of Melbourne, Australia.

Steve Gresham

Founder and Principal Designer, Gresham Yacht Design

Image courtesy of Andrew Johansson

Steve Gresham is the Founder and Principal Designer of Gresham Yacht Design, a studio based in Mayfair, London, that specialises in the design of superyachts ranging from 50m to 150m.

Using a combination of traditional and digital techniques, Gresham Yacht Design conceives, develops and delivers a complete design programme to suit the needs of any client. Sketches, 2D and 3D renders, CAD drawings, videos, interactive 3D presentations and project management are at the team’s disposal to deliver the client’s vision. Interior design expertise is offered in collaboration with Seymour Diamond to deliver a complete turnkey service.

With over 30 years of experience in design, Steve has worked on a variety of projects from high performance craft, refitting vessels through to large private yachts. Each project is different and is approached with a clear mind and blank sheet of paper.

Brandon Harvey

Board of Trustees Member, Polar Citizen Science Collective and Director of Expedition Operations and Programme Development, EYOS Expeditions

Brandon Harvey is a Board of Trustees Member for the Polar Citizen Science Collective and also the Director of Expedition Operations and Programme Development for EYOS Expeditions. He grew up on the shores of the Salish Sea, in British Columbia and his early passion for marine mammals lead him to a long career in the polar regions aboard a variety of expedition vessels and yachts. Brandon has participated in countless expeditions to the Southern Ocean and the High Arctic as an educator, adventure guide, and Expedition Leader.

Over the past 20 years, Brandon has demonstrated his proficiency in developing exceptional client experiences and engaging educational programming. The past decade has found Brandon directing operations for tourism operators, previously as Operations Manager for Maple Leaf Adventures, Director of Expedition Operations for Polar Latitudes and currently as Director of Expedition Operations and Programme Development for EYOS Expeditions. Brandon was a key partner in developing a dedicated Citizen Science programme aboard polar expedition vessels. In 4 seasons the programme has become the model for integrating citizen science on polar expedition vessels and maximising client interaction with citizen science projects.

Working for EYOS Expeditions Brandon’s goal is to integrate citizen science projects aboard private yacht expeditions. While exploring remote regions client’s experience can not only be enriched by conducting research but legitimately contribute to scientific research. Brandon’s field expertise as a marine ecologist and environmental scientist is supported by a Master of Science in Environmental Practice.

Simon Evans

Sustainability Director, Ecobooth

Simon Evans is an experienced project manager of sustainability strategy programmes for multinational companies. As the Sustainability Director of Ecobooth, Simon helps drive a new use for ocean waste plastic, through repurposing the material to create high quality event and exhibition stands using innovative technologies. Ecobooth ensue that ocean waste is put to use, and not incinerated or sent to landfill. Ecobooth are working to turn the wasteful events industry into a positive one, manufacturing with circularity in mind to create positive events from ocean waste.

Simon works with businesses, NGOs, governments, industry bodies and consumers to deliver advice to the executive level of brands in a variety of sectors including those just beginning their sustainability journey and those who wish to lead the way. Simon has 10+ years’ experience in the designing, implementation and strategic communication of sustainability strategy for brands who want to maximise positive environmental and social impact.

Dr Tessa Hempson

Senior Marine Scientist and Operations Manager, Oceans Without Borders

Doctor Tessa Hempson is a Senior Marine Scientist and Operations Manager for Oceans Without Borders, a project partnership between &Beyond and Africa Foundation dedicated to marine conservation and community development in East Africa. She is also an Adjunct Researcher at the ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies at James Cook University in Australia, where she completed her PhD, and continues to work with many of the world’s leading marine scientists on the most pressing issues facing our oceans.

Recognising the importance of working at multiple scales and the need for effective inter-sectoral partnerships, Oceans Without Borders offers a unique platform for bringing together diverse stakeholders to address the complex inter-related challenges facing coral reefs. At a local scale, Dr Hempson’s work in East Africa focuses on the inseparable links between coastal communities and the marine resources on which they depend. At a global scale she endeavours to raise awareness around marine conservation issues, highlighting that many of the threats facing our oceans are driven by consumer and political choices in the developed world, and that each of us can take positive steps in our daily lives to secure a bright future for coral reefs and oceans on which we ultimately all depend.

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