Chelene Hanes is a wildland fire Scientist with the Great Lakes Forestry Centre. Her most recent research is focused on improving our understanding of drought in fire danger rating, through field studies and remote sensing applications. She is a member of the CFS Fire Danger Group who are responsible for the development of the Next Generation - Canadian Forest Fire Danger Rating System.

Forestry engineer. Service manager at the Wildfire Management Service of the Ministry for the Ecological Transition and Demographic Challenge of Spain since 2009. Responsible for national prevention, preparedness and suppression strategies and actions along with international affairs and relationships. At national level, she leads the National Preparedness Program, aiming at improving the coordination among experts and agencies involved in wildfire management in Spain, through joint field exercises, exchanges of experts and the Forest Fire Assessment and Advisory Team (FAST). She also coordinates the Incident Management System and Training Certification national working group, and the Integral Prevention Teams (EPRIF) and the Prevention and Analysis Teams (EPAIF), which support regional governments on the territory. At international level, she is in charge of the coordination of Silva Mediterranea working group on forest fires (FAO), and participates actively, in the European Commission´s expert groups on forest fires (DG ENV-JRC; DG ECHO) and the Union Civil Protection Mechanism (UCPM), along with other international groups and initiatives such as the Global Wildland Fire Network, its Wildland Fire Advisory Group and the Fire Aviation Working Group (UNISDR). She is a member of the International Liaison Committee (ILC) for the International Wildfire Conferences (WILDFIRE).

Forest manager (M.Sc. Forestry) and experienced international trade, forest industry and wood procurement professional. Currently Trade Policy, Russian Affairs and Raw Wood Logistics Specialist at Finnish Forest Industries Federation.

Murray has had a long career in forestry which commence in 1967. Prior to June 2014, Murray was the National Rural Fire Officer for the National Rural Fire Authority in New Zealand and had held this role for the previous 24 years. Murray was also the Chairperson of the New Zealand National Rural Fire Advisory Committee for 23 years, was a member of the Australasian Fire and Emergency Service Authorities Council from 2000 until 2014 and Chairperson of its Rural Land Management Strategic Group for ten years prior to 2010. Murray is currently a member of the Forest Fire Management Group (FFMG) of the Australian/New Zealand Primary Industries Ministerial Council. During his period as Chair of FFMG in the mid 1990’s, he led an Australian/New Zealand Fire Management Study Tour to North America. A key outcome of this Study Tour was progress towards an international deployment agreement between NZ, Australia Canada and USA. Murray is the current Chair of the NZ Institute of Forestry Forest Fire Committee.