Laure Katz
Laure is a marine ecologist and internationally-focused ocean conservation practitioner with two decades of experience. She serves as the vice president of Conservation International’s Blue Nature Alliance, a global partnership working to accelerate effective ocean conservation worldwide. Through both roles, Laure leads teams of dedicated ocean conservationists and scientists working directly with communities, governments and investors to catalyze effective, equitable and durable ocean conservation around the world — from coasts to the high seas.
Laure spent nearly a decade as a key technical advisor for the Bird’s Head Seascape, in West Papua, Indonesia — a global model for community-driven co-management at the seascape scale — and she is the key architect behind the Blue Abadi Fund, a dedicated conservation trust fund to ensure the Bird’s Head Seascape’s impact is enduring. She brings to Conservation International practical MPA management experience, scientific and conservation finance expertise, and a passion for swimming with sharks.
Laure earned an interdisciplinary B.S. and M.S. in ocean science and resource management from Stanford University and a global MBA from University of Virginia’s Darden School of Business.