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WAZA Mid-Year Meeting 2026
You are invited to the 2026 WAZA Mid–Year Meeting
Registration is now open for the WAZA Mid-Year Meeting 2026, and we are delighted to invite you to join us.
A global moment to connect, exchange, and step into our shared role as Stewards of Tomorrow.
Stewards of Tomorrow
Across regions. Across perspectives. One shared responsibility for global conservation impact.
This year’s narrative sets the direction for our global community — and the Mid-Year Meeting brings it to life through its theme:
Leadership Across Differences, Impact Without Borders
A space designed to equip and connect conservation leaders navigating an increasingly complex and diverse world — united by purpose, driven by impact.
Join the most accesible WAZA meeting of the year
No travel. No barriers. Just global connection.
In a WAZA first, we are introducing pioneering AI-powered translation services, enabling a truly borderless experience and allowing every delegate to engage with the programme in their own language.
Dates
17–18 June 2026
Session Times
17 June: 09:00–13:00 CEST (07:00–11:00 UTC)
18 June: 19:00–23:00 CEST (16:00–21:00 UTC)
Scheduled across different time slots to accommodate our global membership across time zones.
Location
Online
Access
Free for WAZA Members
EUR 110 (plus service charge) for non-members
Why this meeting matters
Inclusion
Designed for our global community — across roles, regions, and time zones. Everyone has a place.
Exchange
Hear how members and partners are driving impact — and bring your own perspective into the conversation.
Impact
Short, focused sessions designed to spark ideas, encourage dialogue, and move us forward — together.
Attendees can expect a dynamic mix of short talks, panel discussions and interactive sessions, alongside key updates from WAZA. The full programme will follow in the coming weeks.
The sponsorship package is now available here.
We look forward to welcoming you online.
Programme
Session Highlights
Day 1 - 17 June 2026
Keynote 1 – Leading Beyond Today: Succession Planning to Build Resilient Institutions
Sujata Biswas
Senior Principal Talent and Transformation,
Mercer Singapore
Sujata is a Senior Principal and leads the Talent and Transformation team for Mercer Singapore. She works with clients on Transformation & Talent projects across industries.
Sujata brings a mix of Consulting and Line HR experience. She has worked with Clients on solutions in Job Redesign, process review, leadership development, talent management, leadership assessments, coaching & workshop design/delivery. Prior to her move into consulting, Sujata was leading Talent Management for AIG (Life Insurance Business) in India. In AIG, Sujata Successfully designed and implemented frameworks for assessing talent across levels, created development roadmaps to build leadership capability & designed the succession planning framework for the organisation. She designed and delivered leadership workshops across career levels , including mentoring & coaching workshops for senior leaders.
Day 2 - 18 June 2026
Keynote 2 – Destination Preferred Future: Our climb from the summit to the peak
Dr. Ken Chandler
Chief Potential Officer,
Quest Strategic Solutions
Dr. Ken Chandler, PCC, ICMA-CM is a high-performance strategist, leadership consultant, and the Principal and Chief Potential Officer of Quest Strategic Solutions, LLC. Through Quest Strategic Solutions, Dr. Chandler delivers enterprise-level executive coaching, organizational alignment, and strategic foresight planning designed to maximize human capital and unlock institutional capability nationwide.
Parallel to his consulting practice, Dr. Chandler leverages nearly four decades of executive operational experience as the Deputy City Manager for the City of Virginia Beach, Virginia. In this capacity, he directs complex executive operations, provides strategic oversight to nine major agency heads, and leads 3,000 municipal employees.
Dr. Chandler holds a Doctorate of Strategic Leadership (DSL) from Regent University, a Master of Public Administration (MPA) from Old Dominion University, and a Bachelor of Arts from Morehouse College. He is a 20-year International City/County Management Association Credentialed Manager (ICMA-CM) and an ICF Professional Certified Coach (PCC). His deep advisory expertise is further backed by advanced executive credentials from Cornell University, American University, the University of Washington, and the University of Virginia’s Weldon Cooper Center.
Session Information:
Peek at the evolution of traditional to transformational leadership in a climb to the summit. Explore the tools of a career development expedition that stakes a flag at the peak of your preferred future.
The World Association of Zoos and Aquariums (WAZA) is the global alliance of regional associations, national federations, zoos and aquariums, dedicated to the care and conservation of animals and their habitats around the world.
WAZA is a member of the following organisations:
