Today we’re speaking with Valérie D'Hoedt Meyer, who is the Director of the IUCN Academy. 

Launched in September 2021, the IUCN Academy seeks to harness expertise from within the International Union for Conservation of Nature network to provide training for those seeking to make a meaningful contribution to the dynamic world of conservation.  

The IUCN is a membership Union uniquely composed of both government and civil society organisations, and in the podcast we discuss what exactly it is and how it works.  

We then talk about the IUCN Academy, before Valerie shares her career journey as a switcher – moving from law to education and finally into conservation.  

She shares her careers advice for switchers, and also explains the IUCN recruitment process from an insider’s perspective.  

It’s an interesting discussion about the role of education in conservation, and also the importance of resilience when switching careers. 

Enjoy.