Alexandra Zimmermann is a specialist in human–wildlife conflict and coexistence (HWC), whose focus on this topic over the past 25 years has helped our collective understanding of HWCs and developing effective solutions through governance adjustments and negotiation rather than technical quick fixes. Based at WildCRU, University of Oxford, as Associate Professor, she is also the founding chair of the IUCN SSC Human–Wildlife Conflict & Coexistence Specialist Group and regularly advises governments, intergovernmental organisations and NGOs. She contributed directly to the novel inclusion of HWC within the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework and directed the creation of IUCN guidelines on HWC and international conferences on the topic. In 2026, she was awarded the Midori Prize for Biodiversity for her leadership in cross-sectoral collaboration for human-wildlife coexistence. Alexandra has led 25 courses on HWC, training 700 practitioners, researchers, and government staff worldwide. Her experience is grounded in field work with communities in Brazil, India, Nepal, Mauritius, the UK, Saudi Arabia and other countries, where she has conducted stakeholder dialogues and negotiated solutions involving communities, governments, and conservation organisations.