Diane Esson is Head of Strategy at MARE-Madeira. Her role includes program development, partnerships and fundraising for strategic research and outreach programs. These programs include the global hub for deep-sea research, the expansion of the Smithsonian Institution's MarineGEO network in Europe and the development of the Blue Skills Academy. She also oversees MARE-Madeira's outreach strategy to foster ocean literacy in Madeira and beyond, managing the communications team and youth ambassadors program.

Diane has a PhD and MRes in Clinical Medicine (University of Cambridge) and a BSc (Hons) in Biology (University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill). Before joining MARE-Madeira, she worked in the financial sector for six years, where she gained experience in business analytics, advised on sustainable investments and chaired a committee for environmental sponsorship.