Dr. M. Sanjayan is a conservation scientist and the CEO of Conservation International, an organization working primarily in the Global South to secure nature for all people. Born in Sri Lanka and raised in West Africa, he brings a unique perspective to his work, forging influential partnerships for environmental protection and restoration. He was named to the inaugural TIME 100 list of climate leaders, recognized for his ability to unite business, government, and communities in pursuit of conservation solutions. His work has been featured in The New York Times, The Washington Post, CNN, and Outside Magazine. A prolific science communicator, Sanjayan has hosted more than a dozen award-winning documentaries for PBS, BBC, National Geographic, Discovery, Showtime, and Vox Media, and has appeared on The Today Show, The Late Show with David Letterman, CBS This Morning, and Fareed Zakaria GPS. Sanjayan holds a master’s degree from the University of Oregon and a Ph.D. in conservation biology from the University of California, Santa Cruz. His peer-reviewed research has been published in Science, Nature, and Conservation Biology. He has served as a visiting researcher at UCLA, distinguished professor of practice at Arizona State University, and a fellow at the Aspen Institute and the Council on Foreign Relations. He is also a Trustee for Prince William’s Earthshot Prize and a Climate Advisor for the Clinton Global Initiative. Sanjayan lives in Arlington, Virginia, with his wife and daughter. An avid outdoorsman, he enjoys fly fishing in Montana, birding, cycling, and diving.