Profile
Nancy Cross
- Calypso Prize winner (Cousteau Foundation)
- MBA Professional Member
- Challenger Society Member
- SOA UK Executive Team
Nancy began her scientific career with a first-class degree in Biochemistry from the University of Manchester, which included a year in the Centre for Molecular Bacteriology and Infection (now the CBRB) at Imperial College London. After several years working in the Life Sciences industry, she undertook an Erasmus Mundus MSc in Marine Environment and Resources. This programme addresses the need for integrated research and informed policies to conserve the economic, social and environmental importance of the ocean. She graduated with honours, receiving the Calypso Prize for Best MSc Thesis in Marine Environmental Conservation, awarded by the Cousteau Foundation.
Her most recent research, hosted by the HELCOM Secretariat, explored climate-smart marine spatial planning to advance biodiversity conservation and climate resilience.
She combines this diverse academic background with 5 years of consulting experience, managing and delivering a wide range of projects to industry clients.
As an early-career ocean professional, Nancy aims to bridge science, policy and community to support inclusive, bottom-up approaches to evidence-based decision-making. Her work advances the understanding that conservation and economic development are complementary necessities for sustainable and equitable benefits from marine resources. Her professional ethos is grounded in collaborative and adaptive approaches towards a common goal for humanity and the planet.
Nancy is a surfer, rescue scuba diver and a qualified AIDA 2 freediver to 20m.
