Hendrikus van Hensbergen has a BSc in Zoology from the University of Bristol, where he was awarded the Rose Bracher Memorial Prize, and an MSc in Biodiversity, Conservation & Management from the University of Oxford.

He is the CEO of youth environmental charity, Action for Conservation (AFC), which he founded in 2014, whilst working for WWF, after realising that no charities in the UK existed with the sole purpose of engaging young people in environmental action. In a short space of time the charity has become an influential force, driving greater action to engage and involve young people across the environmental sector. In 2018 Hendrikus' inspirational leadership was recognised with a Postcode Trust Rising Star Award and in 2019 the charity launched the world's largest youth-led nature restoration initiative in Wales.