Ben Goldsmith Keynote Speaker

A spearhead of rewilding campaigns around the world and Founder of environmental charity Conservation Collective
Ranked alongside Bill Gates, Yvon Chouinard and António Guterres in The Independent Climate 100 List 2024.
Chief Executive Officer of Menhaden: a London-listed, sustainability-themed investment company

Ben Goldsmith's Biography

Ben Goldsmith is a financier, philanthropist, and lifelong nature lover who has been at the forefront of rewilding campaigns across Britain, Europe, and beyond. He founded and chairs Conservation Collective, a leading nature restoration charity supporting 21 locally-focused foundations around the world from Devon to Sri Lanka.

Ben is the Chief Executive Officer of Menhaden, a London-listed, sustainability-themed investment company, and also a Trustee of the Children’s Investment Fund Foundation (CIFF), one of the world’s largest climate change-focused philanthropic funds. Ben served from 2018 until 2022 as a Non-Executive Director of the UK Government’s Department of Food, Environment and Rural Affairs.

In May 2023, Ben published his memoir, “God Is An Octopus: Loss, Love and A Calling to Nature” (Bloomsbury Publishing). The book explores how, struggling to comprehend the shocking death of his teenage daughter Iris, Ben found solace, meaning, and hope in the dramatic rebounding of nature on his Somerset farm.

Rewilding The World

From deserts to islands, mountains and more: rewilding offers a powerful solution to reversing biodiversity loss, addressing the climate crisis and reconnecting people with the natural world.

Restoring Nature Through Grassroots Action

As Founder of global nature restoration charity Conservation Collective, Ben illustrates the power of grassroots action as the key to restoring ecosystems, enhancing biodiversity and building climate resilience.

Green Investment

How aligning financial capital with environmental priorities is essential for creating a resilient future.

Wild Ventures in Natural Capital

Nature is an investable asset class. Ben shares how pioneering the commercialisation of nature restoration will help deliver the 30% by 2030 global biodiversity framework goal.

He has been at the forefront of rewilding in Britain and Europe, turning a lifelong commitment to nature into practical campaigns that restore landscapes and biodiversity.
He founded and chairs Conservation Collective, building a global network of locally led foundations that fund and deliver nature restoration from Devon to Sri Lanka.
He brings credibility at the intersection of capital and conservation as CEO of Menhaden, helping audiences understand how sustainability themes translate into investment strategy.
He has shaped environmental policy from inside government as a Non-Executive Director at DEFRA, offering leaders a clear view of how regulation, land use and nature recovery are evolving.
He connects climate, nature and human resilience through his memoir and personal story, giving audiences a compelling case for purpose-led action that lasts beyond the keynote.