Index of Tusk Conservation Symosium 2026 Attendees
A to Z by First Name
Adele Emmett
Head Of Corporate Partnerships and Events
Tusk Trust
United Kingdom
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Adele lived and worked in London, in theatre and the music industry for many years before moving to the west of England in 2004 to bring up her family. At this point she found her dream job at Tusk and leads on corporate partnership development and events.
Alexander Rhodes OBE
Chairman
Tusk Trust
UK
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Alex is a lawyer, conservationist, and advocate for change. His work is driven by a recognition that a healthier relationship between our economic and social systems and natural systems on which they depend is both possible and necessary. He advises clients on governance, policy, risk and reputation, with particular expertise in complex disputes, business and human rights, and biodiversity. He also litigates on behalf of parties seeking to hold to account those who cause harm to people, the climate, and the environment. He serves as Chair of Tusk and was a founding trustee and CEO of the Elephant Protection Initiative. He lives in the English countryside with his wife, Katherine, and their two young daughters.
Amos Gwema
Community Outreach and Conservation Officer
Bhejane Trust
Zimbabwe
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Amos Gwema is a dedicated wildlife conservationist specializing in wildlife intelligence and community conservation. With 21 years of experience, including 18 years in government and 3 years in the private sector, he's a force to be reckoned with in conservation. A former police officer with cumulative 32 years of law enforcement experience, Amos brings a unique blend of skills to his work.
Amos believes in community-led conservation, working closely with locals to gather intelligence and promote coexistence with wildlife, leading to a significant drop in poaching cases in Hwange National Park.
Amos believes in community-led conservation, working closely with locals to gather intelligence and promote coexistence with wildlife, leading to a significant drop in poaching cases in Hwange National Park.
Dr. Andrew Stein
Executive Director
Claws Conservancy
USA
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Andrew Stein is a conservation biologist focused on human carnivore coexistence. Since 2001, Andrew has studied leopards, lions, wild dogs and hyenas in East and Southern Africa, primarily outside of protected areas. He founded CLAWS (Communities Living Among Wildlife Sustainably) Conservancy in 2014 to implement holistic approaches to reduce conflict between subsistence farmers and lions through an automated Lion Alert System and Herding-4-Health and also led the IUCN Red List Global Assessment for leopard.
Dr. Barbara Martinez
Director, Science and Innovation Programs, Land
National Geographic Society
USA
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Barbara is the Director, Science and Innovation Programs, Land, on the Science and Innovation Programs team at the National Geographic Society. She currently oversees research and conservation grants and programs in the Land focus area and adaptively manages the focus area’s scientific portfolio. Prior to joining the National Geographic Society, she designed and directed funding opportunities to support innovative conservation solutions, researched several scientific topics in the context of informing science policy at the US EPA, and conducted field work in terrestrial and freshwater systems. Barbara has a PhD in Conservation Biology from the University of Minnesota where she studied lemur seed dispersal and forest regeneration in Madagascar.
Beatrice Karanja
Board Member and Judge for Tusk Conservation Awards
Tusk Trust
Kenya
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Beatrice is the Founding Executive Director of Nature’s Pitch, an African-led growth hub supporting early-stage green and blue economy ventures, with a particular focus on nano-entrepreneurship and African women in STEMM. Nature’s Pitch ensures that philanthropic funding is matched between African and international partners, strengthening locally led innovation and long-term sustainability. She also serves as Director and Senior Advisor for Strategy, Partnerships, and Resource Mobilisation at Natural State. At the governance and representational level, Beatrice serves as Board Chair of the Mara Elephant Project, a Trustee of Tusk Trust and Natural State, and a panel judge for the Tusk Conservation Awards. In 2024, she was appointed to the Advisory Council of the Rwanda Wildlife Conservation Association.
Berce Nsafuansa
Director of Conservation
Okapi Conservation Project
Democratic Republic of Congo
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Berce Nsafuansa Disiki holds a Bachelors Degree in biology, ecology, and management of animal resources and has over 10 years of experience working in national parks and protected areas. Berce has been with the Okapi Conservation Project, firstly as Program Manager and then as Director of Conservation Programs. Berce adopts a holistic approach to conservation by working with local communities and indigenous people to improve their livelihoods while also protecting the forest for okapi and other species.
Bernadette Clemens
US Development Executive
Tusk Trust
USA
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Originating in the performing arts, Bernadette was drawn to nonprofit development and for over 20 years has led development strategy on comprehensive campaigns while managing advancement teams in the fields of higher education, human services, arts and culture, and wildlife conservation. Bernadette has served as US Development Executive for Tusk since 2022.
Dr. Camilla Floros
Principal Scientist and Programme Manager
Wild Impact
South Africa
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Camilla Floros is a marine scientist who has spent more than 20 years working across the Western Indian Ocean, with a strong focus on coral reefs, fisheries, and community-led conservation. She is the Principal Scientist and Programme Leader for Oceans Without Borders, a Wild Impact initiative delivered in partnership with &Beyond, where she leads long-term marine conservation programmes in Mozambique and Tanzania. Camilla’s work centres on helping critical habitats recover by combining solid science with practical management—through monitoring, restoration, and rebuilding key species that keep ecosystems in balance. She works closely with government partners, protected area managers, and coastal communities to turn data into real-world action, including fishery replenishment zones and predator recovery efforts.
Chantal Migongo-Bake
Chief Conservation Officer
Tusk Trust
Kenya
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Chantal Migongo-Bake is Chief Conservation Officer at Tusk, where she provides strategic leadership across the organisation’s conservation portfolio in Africa. With extensive experience spanning community-led conservation, policy engagement, and large-scale programme delivery, she works closely with partners to protect wildlife, secure critical landscapes, and strengthen local stewardship of natural resources. At Tusk, Chantal oversees the design and implementation of conservation initiatives that combine scientific evidence with practical, on-the-ground solutions, ensuring long-term impact for both people and nature. She is deeply committed to inclusive conservation approaches that recognise the central role of communities in safeguarding biodiversity.
Charlie Mayhew OBE
Founder and President
Tusk Trust
United Kingdom
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Charlie began his career with extensive travel. He went on to work in marine insurance before his long-standing connection to Africa led him to organise and lead a major UN-backed expedition across the continent in 1985, an experience that proved pivotal. In 1990, Charlie co-founded Tusk, which under his leadership grew into the UK’s leading African conservation NGO. To date, Tusk has raised more than £145 million to support over 250 local partner organisations and wildlife ranger units in more than 25 African countries, supporting conservation efforts across the continent. Charlie became Tusk’s full-time Chief Executive in 2002 and led the charity for more than two decades. He was awarded an MBE in 2005 and an OBE in 2023 for services to conservation.
Clive Meakin
Chief Operations Officer
Save Valley Conservancy
Zimbabwe
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Clive is Chief Operations Officer of the Save Valley Conservancy (SVC), which is a 2,500km2 private wildlife area in Zimbabwe. Responsible for all finances, fundraising, high-level representation and liaison, as well as strategic planning and day-to-day management. Clive is also a Professional Guide and an amateur herpetologist.
Coralie Hyde
Head of Digital
Tusk Trust
United Kingdom
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With over 30 years’ experience across publishing, agencies and the charity sector, Coralie brings a practical, hands-on approach in her role as Head of Digital at Tusk. She has led the development of Salesforce CRM, managed the charity’s websites, and supported major fundraising events through digital infrastructure, processes and analytics. She has been the digital project lead for the Wildlife Ranger Challenge since launch in 2020, helping deliver what has become Tusk’s largest and most successful annual campaign. Coralie has been instrumental in building digital confidence throughout Tusk and ensured that technology genuinely helps people do their jobs better.
Dan Bucknell
Chief Operating Officer
Tusk Trust
United Kingdom
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Dan began his conservation career with the Limbe Wildlife Centre in Cameroon, gaining hands-on experience working closely with rescued primates, eventually moving into field research as part of the Cross River Gorilla Research Programme, contributing to efforts to understand and protect one of the world’s rarest great ape populations. This led to working for the Gorilla Organization, where as Regional Programme Manager he oversaw a number of projects across multiple countries, fostering long-term partnerships, and helping to strengthen grassroots conservation capacity. In 2009, he joined Elephant Family as Head of Conservation and Campaigns, where he led programmes addressing human–elephant conflict, habitat loss, and species protection across Asia. His work combined conservation strategy, public engagement, and campaigning. Dan joined Tusk in 2014, stepping into a leadership role that has seen him champion conservation efforts across Africa and support the growth of the Tusk team in the UK.
Daphine Madhlamoto
Principal Ecologist
Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Management Authority
Zimbabwe
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Daphne is a terrestrial ecologist based in Hwange National Park. Particularly interested in biodiversity conservation including wildlife population dynamics, habitat utilization and vegetation monitoring. She has worked with a number of conservation organizations in conducting research and monitoring activities within and outside protected areas and has also participated in community development projects ensuring that communities benefit from wildlife.
Dave Bennett
Co-Founder
Kakori Conservation
Zimbabwe
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Dave Bennett is a Zimbabwean conservationist and tourism professional with over 35 years’ experience across Africa’s leading wilderness destinations. Originally trained in Civil Engineering, Dave redirected his career to wildlife, completing a Professional Guides Apprenticeship in the Zambezi Valley. Together with his wife, Linda, he built a pioneering mobile safari operation that later expanded into lodges, aviation, wildlife capture and relocation, and conservation-linked enterprises across Zimbabwe, Botswana, and Zambia. Through Kakori Conservation, he works with communities, government, and private stakeholders on biodiversity protection, wildlife corridors, research, education, and sustainable livelihoods—seeking practical solutions for conservation in a changing world.
David Kuvawoga
Operations Director
Painted Dog Conservation
Zimbabwe
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David Kuvawoga is the Operations Director at Painted Dog Conservation in Zimbabwe, where he provides strategic and operational leadership for field-based conservation, community engagement, and anti-poaching initiatives focused on the protection of the endangered painted dog (Lycaon pictus). He has over a decade of experience working at the interface of wildlife conservation, protected area management, and community-based natural resource initiatives within the greater Hwange landscape. As an Emerging Wildlife Conservation Leader (EWCL) (Class 8 Fellow), David is committed to promoting locally driven, practical conservation solutions that balance ecological integrity with community livelihoods.
Dean Chown
Head of Finance
Tusk Trust
United Kingdom
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Dean is Head of Finance at Tusk and brings many years of finance experience, including more than a decade with a global entertainment leader and three years at Deloitte. Dean has been instrumental in developing financial efficiency through enhanced budget management and cross-team communication at Tusk. Dean also serves as a Trustee for TEACH Poole, a Multi-Academy Trust, reflecting his commitment to education and community.
Dickson Njunge
Portfolio Manager
Maliasili
Kenya
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Dickson Njunge is an organizational development and conservation practitioner with over a decade of experience leading and facilitating strategy, governance, and institutional strengthening processes for community-based and landscape-level conservation organizations across East Africa. He currently serves as Portfolio Manager, East Africa at Maliasili, where he designs and facilitates tailored organizational development processes that strengthen conservation leadership, institutions, and impact. Dickson brings extensive facilitation and leadership experience, having led multi-stakeholder processes involving community institutions, conservancies, civil society, boards, and government agencies. He has held senior public leadership and management roles in natural resource governance. His work sits at the intersection of conservation, organizational development, and systems change.
Dr. Dominik Bauer
Conservation Strategy Lead
Lion Landscapes
United Kingdom
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Born in Germany, Dominik moved to southern Africa at the age of 25 where he spent the next 10 years in the field working on landscape-scale conservation initiatives across the Kavango-Zambezi Transfrontier Conservation Area (KAZA TFCA). Dominik subsequently worked for WWF Germany as a Project Manager for eastern and southern Africa where he provided technical oversight on a wide range of community conservation initiatives in southern Kenya and northern Tanzania. Dominik then joined Jamma International in the newly created role of Programme Development and Performance Manager where he was responsible for the identification and development of new conservation initiatives, as well as providing technical support for Jamma’s project partners.
Douglas Braum
Chief Operating Officer
The Pangolin Project
Kenya
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Doug Braum is the COO at The Pangolin Project, Kenya, specialising in protected area management for the past 20 years in both Tanzania and Kenya. Doug is originally from South Africa and studied IT and computer programming and holds a commercial pilots’ license, having spent years flying anti-poaching patrols in some of the remote Game Reserves in Tanzania. For the past 8 years, his focus has been on managing and developing community owned conservancies bordering the Maasai Mara Reserve. In between managing protected areas, Doug spent a year in the DRC leading a scientific expedition into Maiko National Park.
Ed Du Gard
Strategy Director
Defender
United Kingdom
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Ed is Defender Strategy Director, where he serves as Brand guardian. In collaboration with the core at JLR functions, he defines the end-to-end global brand strategy to transform Defender from a product to a brand led enterprise to maximise shareholder value.
Dr. Edd Brooks
Director
The Manda Projects
Kenya
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Edd brings a rare combination of practical knowhow, scientific expertise, entrepreneurial vision, and nonprofit leadership – exactly the mix required for a venture that aims to create sustainable environmental, social, and economic outcomes for communities and wildlife. A farmer by birth, Edd fell in love with Africa working on farms and in lodges in Zimbabwe in the 1990s. With a PhD in Marine Biology, and a career spanning marine research, conservation, and sustainable development, Edd has spent decades translating science into action. As part of the early cohort designing and building The Island School – a non-profit organisation dedicated to conservation science, sustainable engineering, and educational reform – Edd went on to serve as its COO and CEO. Edd also launched ventures in renewable energy and tourism. A recent returnee to Africa, Edd has spent the last four years learning from Kenyan giants of conservation, and is in the unique position to be able to learn from successes and failures of the past, yet able to approach these unique conservation problems with fresh eyes and a global store of experience.
Edla Kaveru
Chief Operating Officer
IRDNC
Namibia
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With a deep-rooted passion for conservation and sustainable development, I have spent over two decades supporting the functions of preserving our planet's precious ecosystems. Throughout my journey, I have sought to pioneer innovative approaches that create a lasting impact. I have taken on challenging projects, managing them with a blend of determination, strategic vision, and unwavering commitment.One of my key strengths lies in my ability to manage and lead diverse teams, fostering a collaborative environment where ideas flourish and collective goals are achieved. Throughout my career, I have had the privilege of overseeing critical initiatives, orchestrating financial stability, and steering projects towards success.
Prof. Edson Gandiwa
Director General
Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Management Authority
Zimbabwe
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Professor Edson Gandiwa is the Director General of the Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Management Authority (ZimParks). He has over 20 years of experience in the fields of wildlife conservation and higher education. Previously, Professor Gandiwa served as Director Scientific Services at ZimParks , Associate Professor, Inaugural Executive Dean and Full Professor in the School of Wildlife, Ecology and Conservation at Chinhoyi University of Technology, Ecologist and Senior Ecologist based in Gonarezhou National Park (Chiredzi) at ZimParks. He holds a Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) Degree in Wildlife Conservation and Management from Wageningen University and Research. He has (co)authored over 200 peer-reviewed scientific publications. His research interests include biodiversity and wildlife conservation, protected area management, community-based natural resource management, ecotourism and media framing of wildlife conservation.
Dr. Ekwoge Abwe
Country Director
Cameroon Biodiversity Association (CAMBIO)
Cameroon
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Dr. Ekwoge Abwe is a primatologist, co-lead of the San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance African Forest Hub, and country director of the Cameroon Biodiversity Association. He holds a BA in geography from the University of Yaounde 1, Cameroon, an MSc in primate conservation from Oxford Brookes University, UK, and a PhD in biology from Drexel University, USA. Ekwoge currently serves as secretary general of the African Primatological Society, is co-vice chair of the Section on Great Apes of the IUCN SSC Primate Specialist Group, and an active member of the IUCN Working Group on Chimpanzee Cultures. He is the author of many scientific publications and a recipient of several awards, including the prestigious Whitley Fund for Nature award, the Explorers Club 50 award, and the 2023 Prince William Award for Conservation in Africa for his grassroots efforts to engage local communities in great ape conservation in Cameroon.
Elaine Hake
Director of Development and Communications
Lilongwe Wildlife Trust
Malawi
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Elaine Hake joined Lilongwe Wildlife Trust in Malawi in 2019 and is now Director of Development and Communications. She has over 15 years’ experience working in communications, campaigning, fundraising and policy in the not-for-profit sector, with a focus on conservation, gender and international development.
Emmanuel Gerlin
Coordinator
Chimpanzee Conservation Centre
Guinea
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Passionate about social and environmental development from an early age, Emmanuel became actively involved in local community organizations as a teenager, later earning a degree in Economic Development and International Cooperation in Toulouse, France. Emmanuel has held leadership roles in NGOs across Africa, the Middle East, and Latin America, working in diverse fields — from emergency aid in conflict zones to community development projects. Since 2025, Emmanuel has served as Coordinator of the Chimpanzee Conservation Center in Haut Niger National Park (Guinea). Founded in 1997, the center now cares for 65 chimpanzees rescued from poaching, operates a release site, and supports community and educational initiatives in neighbouring villages.
Enock Ochieng
Head of Monitoring and Patrol Programmes
Mount Kenya Trust
Kenya
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Enock Odera Ochieng is a conservation and geospatial science professional with over ten years of experience in wildlife monitoring, protected area management, and ranger-based conservation. He currently works as a Patrol Programmes Officer at Mount Kenya Trust, where he supports ranger teams through SMART law enforcement monitoring, GIS and remote sensing, and multi-agency collaboration with government partners. Enock has previously served as an Elephant Project Coordinator at Mpala Research Centre and as a Resident Ecologist and Education Officer at Laikipia Nature Conservancy. He holds an MSc in Geo-information Science and Earth Observation from the University of Twente in the Netherlands and a BSc in Wildlife Management from the University of Nairobi. His research and professional work focus on evidence-based conservation and the spatial ecology of elephants in Kenya.
Evelyn Kimori
Science Communications Officer
LaMCoT
Kenya
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Evelyn Kimori is a scientist with a storyteller’s soul, dedicated to bridging the gap between complex data and public engagement. Currently serving as the PR & Science Communications Officer at the Lamu Marine Conservation Trust, Evelyn translates scientific research into narratives that drive ocean conservation. With a 7-year career spanning industrial quality control and content management, Evelyn brings a unique, multi-disciplinary lens to conservation. An open-water diver and advocate for the blue economy, she is committed to surfacing the stories hidden beneath the waves. In her free time, you will find Evelyn dancing or outdoors with friends.
Fanny Minesi
General Director ABC
Friends of Bonobos
Democratic Republic of Congo
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Fanny Minesi is the Executive Director of the Congolese NGO ABC – Amis des Bonobos du Congo, which she joined in 2014. She works on developing innovative models of community-managed protected areas that combine bonobo conservation, local governance, and community rights in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Her work focuses in particular on the Ekolo ya Bonobo Community Reserve, an initiative built with local communities to support conservation without restricting access to resources or local decision-making.
Francis Osei-Gyan
Chief Operating Officer
Herp Ghana
Ghana
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Francis Osei-Gyan serves as the Chief Operating Officer (COO) of Herp Conservation Ghana (Herp-Ghana). He holds a Master of Science degree in Development Policy and Planning from the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), Ghana. Francis oversees conservation research and guides the strategic direction of Herp Conservation Ghana’s programs. Passionate about preserving Ghana’s unique biodiversity, he has dedicated his career to protecting endangered species and habitats, particularly vulnerable amphibians. His ultimate mission is to inspire a globally aware and active citizenry committed to protecting the planet’s most threatened wildlife.
Dr. Gladys Kalema-Zikusoka
Chief Executive Officer
Conservation Through Public Health
Uganda
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Dr. Gladys Kalema-Zikusoka is Founder and CEO of Conservation Through Public Health (CTPH), an NGO and non-profit that protects endangered gorillas and other wildlife through One Health approaches. After graduating with a Bachelor in Veterinary Medicine from the Royal Veterinary College, University of London in 1995, she established Uganda Wildlife Authority’s first veterinary department in 1996. In 2015, she founded Gorilla Conservation Coffee to support farmers living around gorilla habitats. CTPH won the 2020 Saint Andrews Prize for the Environment. Dr Kalema-Zikusoka is an Ashoka Fellow, National Geographic Explorer, 2009 Whitley Gold Award Winner, 2019 Tusk Award for Conservation in Africa Finalist and 2021 UNEP Champion of the Earth Laureate. In 2023, she published a memoir “Walking with Gorillas: the Journey of an African Wildlife Vet, about her conservation and leadership journey.
Hoby Razafimandimby
Communications and Marketing Specialist
C3 Madagascar
Madagascar
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Hoby is a Malagasy environmental educator and communication specialist with extensive experience designing and implementing community-based conservation and youth engagement programmes. Hoby’s work with C3 Madagascar develops environmental education initiatives, trains teachers, leads youth eco-clubs called ""Junior Ecoguards"", and develops institutional communication and partnerships. Passionate about marine biodiversity conservation and youth empowerment, Hoby combines project management, strategic communication, and storytelling to drive environmental awareness and behavioural change.
Ian Stevenson
Chief Executive Officer
Conservation Lower Zambezi
Zambia
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Australian-born Ian Stevenson first arrived in the Lower Zambezi in 1997 and quickly found his calling in wildlife conservation. With more than 25 years’ experience in protected area management across Africa, Ian currently leads Conservation Lower Zambezi (CLZ), one of Zambia’s longest-standing conservation NGOs. Over the past three decades, CLZ has grown from a single operation into an organisation of over 100 employees. What began with support for foot patrols has expanded to include applied research, specialised operational units as well as an extensive environmental education programme reaching over 3,500 pupils from more than 70 schools. CLZ also runs a growing community programme focused on reducing human–wildlife conflict, all contributing to the long-term protection of the Lower Zambezi.
Jealous Mpofu
Chief Tracker
Painted Dog Conservation
Zimbabwe
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Jealous Mpofu, Senior Tracker at Painted Dog Conservation, was awarded the Tusk Wildlife Ranger Award in 2023. Jealous, joined PDC in March 1997 after many years working for Zimbabwe National Parks as a “rhino minder” where he spent his days wandering with his charge, “Chiwore”, a female black rhino, through the harsh wilderness of Matusadona National Park. He literally walked “Chiwore” around as one walks a well-trained domestic dog, sleeping when the rhino slept, guarding her against marauding lions and poachers. His job at PDC is arguably the most significant, as he heads the team that is tasked with keeping track of the various study packs of painted dogs. He drives out each day, confident in his acquired abilities with radio telemetry, his inherent bush skills and his intimate knowledge of the dog’s behaviour.
Jemma Chambers
Head of Philanthropy
Tusk Trust
United Kingdom
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Jemma has been a fundraiser for over two decades and has worked with some very different but rewarding organisations; a hospice, older people, young people, wildlife and science. More recently she has worked in international organisations, with a focus on sustainable livelihoods. She has an MA in Philanthropic Studies and volunteers for the Chartered Institute of Fundraising.
Jessica Robinson
Board Member
Tusk Trust
USA
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Jessica is an entrepreneur, philanthropist, runner, facilitator, and multi-passionate creative. A friend and supporter of Tusk since 2017, she has participated in the Lewa Safari Marathon annually, building teams of runners to join her efforts. She joined the Tusk Board in 2024.
John Kinoti
Chief Program and Partnerships Officer
Lewa Wildlife Conservancy
Kenya
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John is the Chief Programs and Partnerships Officer at Lewa Wildlife Conservancy and his role is to provide strategic leadership for livelihoods programs, partnerships, fundraising, and donor engagement. Directs and coordinates internal and external programs in alignment with Lewa’s organizational goals and Board oversight. His role encompasses grants and donor management, program and project leadership, departmental oversight, strategic alignment, and stakeholder and government relations. Through multi-stakeholder collaboration, John has provided oversight for the successful repatriation of the mountain bongo and, as the chairman of the Meru Bongo and Rhino Conservation Trust, he has played a key role in the development of the 20-acre Mountain Bongo Sanctuary.
Dr. Josia Razafindramanana
Founder
Impact Madagascar
Madagascar
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Josia is a primatologist specializing in holistic approaches to biodiversity conservation in Madagascar. She earned her PhD in 2011, during which she launched the Sifaka Conservation program, an innovative community-based initiative that has received several international awards, including the prestigious Whitley Award. To ensure the long-term sustainability of this work, she later founded IMPACT Madagascar, a local organisation which continues to strengthen links between conservation, local livelihoods, and ecosystem protection.. For the past three years, Josia has been working with Maliasili, supporting local conservation organizations to become more structured, results-oriented, and effective in achieving lasting impact. Alongside her professional work, she is deeply committed to education in Madagascar, which she sees as essential for driving long-term positive change.
Kerri Wolter
Chief Executive Officer
VulPro
South Africa
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On a leap of faith, Kerri applied for a job managing a vulture conservation group. It was meant to be a stepping stone into conservation, with dreams of eventually working with more “glamorous” species. Meeting vultures up close captivated Kerri, especially their ancient beauty, their vulnerability, and the vital role they play in our ecosystems. What began as “just a job” quickly became a passion. Kerri is deeply committed not only to protecting vultures, but to helping people connect with them emotionally; nurturing love and empathy for species that are so often forgotten, misunderstood, and underappreciated.
Dr. Kina Murphy
Africa Director and Chief Scientist
Campaign for Nature
USA
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Kina Murphy is an ecologist with over twenty-years of experience working throughout Africa, The Caribbean, Asia and North America. She has focused on biodiversity monitoring, sustainable finance, market-based approaches to conservation and community-based conservation planning and policy and strengths include biodiversity offsets and mitigation planning for extractive industries. Kina is the Chief Scientist and Africa Director for the Campaign for Nature, which is focused on protecting 30% of the planet by 2030 to stop the extinction of over a million species. The early part of her career focused on development of a community-based wetland monitoring and assessment framework for southern Africa using the Chobe-Linyanti wetland as a model.
Lauren Davis
Fundraising Events Officer
Tusk Trust
United Kingdom
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Lauren has always been extremely passionate about wildlife and conservation and in particular, across Africa. She transfers this passion into her professional life in her role with Tusk, overseeing Events and Fundraising.
Lesley McNutt
Director
Wild Entrust
Botswana
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Lesley McNutt began her career as an anthropologist and has since spent over 30 years working in African conservation, primarily on long-term field research and people-centred solutions. She is Co-Director of Wild Entrust Africa, an umbrella for 3 integrated programs that combine predator research, community coexistence and education. Lesley is the creator of Coaching Conservation, a play-based learning model that fosters empathy, critical thinking, and coexistence with wildlife, now scaling through national and regional partnerships. Her work focuses on translating conservation science into lasting social impact, strengthening local stewardship, and building durable conservation outcomes, most recently through collaborative efforts with Enduring Earth to develop a Project Finance for Permanence in Botswana.
Lorna Dax
Programme & Partnership Development Assistant
Save the Rhino Trust
Namibia
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With over 7 years of experience in community-led conservation, Deoclearancia is passionate about driving sustainable development through inclusive community engagement, particularly initiatives that empower women and youth. With her current role at Save the Rhino Trust Namibia, Deoclearancia co-ordinates the different projects, fundraising and community outreach. Before joining SRT, she successfully managed Khoadi //Hoas Conservancy in north-west Namibia for five years. During this time, Deoclearancia led conservation and development programs that improved local livelihoods and strengthened natural resource management.
Louise de Bruin
Chief Executive Officer
Game Rangers Association of Africa
South Africa
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Louise de Bruin is the Chief Executive Officer of the Game Rangers Association of Africa (GRAA), a member-based organisation representing and supporting rangers across the African continent. With over a decade at GRAA, she has worked closely with ranger teams across diverse landscapes, advocating for ranger welfare, professional development, and greater recognition of the critical role rangers play in conserving Africa’s natural heritage. Louise holds a Master’s degree in Human Rights from the University of Pretoria and an Honours degree in Journalism. A long-time champion of rangers on the frontlines of conservation, she believes that protecting wildlife starts with properly supporting the people who protect it. When she’s not working, she’s happiest in the bush — preferably with no cell signal or running trails with her husband and her dog!
Dr. Luisa Arnedo Beltran
Science Director, Wildlife Programs
National Geographic Society
USA
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Luisa Arnedo Beltran is Science Director of Wildlife Programs at the National Geographic Society. Trained as a primate behavioral ecologist, she has spent over a decade supporting researchers and conservationists leading species-focused projects around the world.
Magdaline Marucha
Conservation Partnerships Officer
Tusk Trust
Kenya
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Magdaline's conservation journey began at Ol Pejeta Conservancy at the Chimpanzee Sanctuary. Learning about each and every chimpanzee from name to behaviour, highlighting the complexity of the species. Magdaline’s work with Tusk involves communicating with different project partners across Africa and being on the frontline of the project work that Tusk funds.
Mark Saunders
Executive Director
Malilangwe Trust
Zimbabwe
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Mark Saunders was born in Triangle, Zimbabwe, where he spent the first 26 years of his life exploring the bush, particularly Gonarezhou National Park and Lone Star Ranch—that would later become The Malilangwe Trust. These formative years fostered a deep and enduring love for the wilderness. Mark attended Falcon College, where he served as Head Boy in 1987. He went on to complete a Bachelor of Social Science at Rhodes University in South Africa, followed by a diploma in tobacco culture from the Blackfordby Institute. He farmed tobacco for ten years before being appointed Executive Director of The Malilangwe Trust in 2010, where he continues to work and live with his family.
Matthew Becker
CEO
Zambian Carnivore Programme
United States
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Matthew is the CEO of the Zambian Carnivore Programme, an organization aimed at conserving large carnivores and ecosystems through Conservation Science, Action, Coexistence, and Development of Local Leadership. He worked on a project on beach beetles in the British Virgin Islands and discovered multiple new species.
Matthew Perry
General Manager
Grumeti Fund
Tanzania
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Matt has been working in conservation for a period extending 25 years. Starting a career in the iconic Kruger National Park provided Matt with a solid foundation and understanding of the intricate management challenges facing Africa’s protected areas. From Kruger, Matt went on to consult on projects in Zimbabwe, Namibia and Tanzania. He joined the Grumeti Fund as a Section Manager in 2008 and has progressed internally. Matt was appointed as General Manager in 2021 to co-lead the Grumeti Fund. Matt grew up in Kwa-Zulu Natal, South Africa. He formalized his love for nature with a diploma in Nature Conservation from the Tshwane University of Technology in South Africa. In 2017, Matt took a study break and went on to complete a master’s degree in Conservation Leadership at the University of Cambridge.
Meleckzedeck Laizer
Senior Programs Manager
Honeyguide Foundation
Tanzania
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Meleckzedeck has a deep love for nature and a strong belief in community-based conservation, enjoying connecting with people, learning from different perspectives, and turning shared ideas into meaningful action.
Michael Keigwin MBE
CEO
Uganda Conservation Foundation
Uganda
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Michael started UCF in 2001 and today the organisation runs projects in Queen Elizabeth, Kidepo Valley, Murchison Falls and Kibble Forest National Parks. UCF's approach is to help the Uganda Wildlife Authority succeed, resolving critical limitations to their success. Mike's greatest pleasure is seeing the UCF and UWA's teams’ achievements.
Misbahou Mohamed
Co-Director
Dahari
Comoros
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Misbahou Mohamed is Co-Director at Dahari. He has worked with Dahari since 2008, building from field positions to become Technical Director in 2013, and now Co-Director since 2020. Misbahou manages in particular the forests and agroforests programmes and teams, and plays a key role in all aspects of NGO management. He was a Darwin Fellow in 2014-2015 and since 2021, a member of the African Conservation Leadership Network.
Dr. Monicah Mbiba
Senior Portfolio Manager, Southern Africa
Maliasili
South Africa
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Dr Monicah Mbiba is a strategist, facilitator, and systems leader with over 15 years of experience working across Africa in conservation, development, academia and social innovation. Currently she is Senior Portfolio Manager for Southern Africa at Maliasili, leading regional strategy and supporting partners in strengthening their leadership and infrastructure to accelerate conservation impact, promote sustainable livelihoods and transformative shifts in power to local organizations and the communities they work with. Previously, Monicah was the Senior Program Manager for Kenya at Legado, where she worked with Samburu communities to advance the thriving futures program for resilience. Monicah serves on the boards of the Reos Institute in Geneva and the Matabeleland Youth Conservation Society in Zimbabwe.
Dr. Moreangels Mbizah
Executive Director
Wildlife Conservation Action
Zimbabwe
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Dr. Moreangels Mbizah is a conservation biologist working at the intersection of wildlife conservation and community development, with a Doctorate in Zoology from the University of Oxford, where she studied African lions. In 2018, her lion research was featured in a National Geographic short film titled “One Woman’s Remarkable Journey to Protect Lions”. She is the Founder and Executive Director of Wildlife Conservation Action, an organization that empowers local communities to reduce human-wildlife conflict and support conservation efforts. A TED Fellow, Mandela Washington Fellow, Kinship Conservation Fellow, and National Geographic Explorer, Moreangels is committed to mentoring Africa’s next generation of conservation leaders and was awarded the 2025 National Geographic Wayfinder Award.
Nathan Webb
General Manager
Wildlife Conservation Coalition
Zimbabwe
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Nathan is a born and bred Zimbabwean with a deep love for the bush and anything wild and is blessed to work full time in the conservation space focusing on landscape management, particularly water for wildlife and anti-poaching, countering the illegal wildlife trade and significant threat to our animals. Nathan is a firm believer that the protection and preservation of our Natural World is everyone’s responsibility and we each play our small part in achieving this.
Nick Bubb
CEO
Tusk Trust
United Kingdom
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Nick was appointed Chief Executive of Tusk in January 2024. Prior to this, he spent a decade at Fauna & Flora International (FFI) as their Business Development Director. Mainly based in the UK, he also helped to run their regional offices in Singapore and Australia. Nick spent ten years as a professional offshore sailor before moving into finance as an investment manager. Alongside his professional career, he was active in local politics and stood as a candidate in the 2019 UK general election. Nick has sailed around the world multiple times and undertaken purpose-led expeditions across Africa, Europe, South and Central America, the Caribbean, Southeast Asia, Oceania, Antarctica and the Pacific. These experiences have given him broad exposure to locally led conservation efforts globally and continue to inform his approach to leadership and risk. A life-long passion for marine conservation, reinforced by an expedition to Antarctica in 2012, led him to pursue a long-term career in wildlife conservation.
Nick Maughan CBE
Board Member
Tusk Trust
UK
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Nick is an investor and philanthropist with a passion for wildlife conservation and youth sports. He is a long time supporter of Tusk and has been a Trustee since 2021.
Noel Mbise
General Manager - Research & Community
Grumeti Fund
Tanzania
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Noel is a conservationist interested in addressing emerging challenges at the intersection between resource preservation, livelihoods, and sustainable, just socio-economic development. Noel’s current role is with the Grumeti Fund as a General Manager - Research, Ecological Monitoring and Community Outreach. A trained ecologist and environmental policy analyst, Noel’s 20-year career journey has entailed working in the public and private sectors and more recently, public-private partnership setting in Tanzania but with a global mindset.
Dr. Olivier Nsengimana
CEO & Founder
Rwanda Wildlife Conservation Association
Rwanda
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Olivier is the CEO and Founder of Rwanda Wildlife Conservation Association (RWCA) a local NGO in Rwanda that applies home-grown solutions to protect and restore threatened wildlife and wild places. Since the beginning RWCA has managed stop the illegal trade of Grey Crowned Cranes in Rwanda has nearly tripled their population. Using a model of community conservation and targeting the problem from all angles; through involving communities, creating jobs in conservation, improving livelihoods, education and raising awareness, habitat restoration and reducing threats to wildlife, Olivier believes this positive change can be sustained. He and his team are now using what they learned with cranes, and applying it to other threatened species in Rwanda including bats, Sitatunga antelope, Shoebill, African Grey Parrots and many others.
Penny Fraser
PACE Coordinator
PACE
United Kingdom
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Penelope has been coordinator of PACE - an education programme of Tusk, since 2016. PACE materials can help your education work and get your message to more people in more areas. Penelope would love to discuss PACE further with delegates at the symposium.
Peter Blinston
Executive Director
Painted Dog Conservation
Zimbabwe
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Peter Blinston is one of the Founders and the Executive Director of Painted Dog Conservation (PDC) . He has worked on the frontline of conservation for more than 25 years, building PDC into the Internationally renowned conservation organization it is today.
Peter Lalampaa
Executive Director
Grevy Zebra Trust
Kenya
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Peter joined Grevy’s Zebra Trust (GZT) in November 2007, with a Bachelor of Environmental Science from Kenyatta University. With encouragement from GZT, he graduated with an MSc in conservation biology from the University of Kent, UK, in 2011. In 2013, Peter was recognized as a Disney Conservation Hero for his outstanding contributions to Grevy’s zebra conservation and was recognized as an Explorer’s Club Top Fifty. Passionate about addressing rangeland degradation, Peter focuses on mitigating its impacts, which jeopardize both wildlife conservation and pastoralism. Today, Peter stands as the Executive Director at GZT. This is a fitting recognition of his ability to guide GZT in achieving its vision.
Rachael Watson
Director, Community Engagement
Campaign for Nature
USA
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Rachael Watson leads Campaign for Nature’s engagement and coordination with Indigenous Peoples, local communities, and Afro-descendant Peoples (IPs, LCs, and ADPs). In this role, she supports partnership development and advocacy for a rights-based approach to conservation, including serving on the technical advisory team for Community Land Rights and Conservation (CLARIFI) in partnership with Resources Rights Initiative (RRI) to deliver finance directly to IPs, LCs, and ADPs organizations.
Rachel Ikemeh
Director
SW/Niger Delta Forest Project
Nigeria
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Rachel is a Nigerian conservation leader and biodiversity management strategist dedicated to systemic ecological change and founded the SW/Niger Delta Forest Project, managing an expansive grassroots team of nearly 100 persons comprising professionals and community members. She navigates the volatile socio-political and ecological landscapes of southern Nigeria to implement resilient, community-led conservation management. Rachel’s strategic leadership has resulted in unprecedented conservation milestones in Africa's most populous nation, including the establishment of four protected areas and the successful execution of high-stakes wildlife protection campaigns that have brought two species back from the brink of extinction.
Rahima Njaidi
Executive Director
MJUMITA
Tanzania
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Rahima is a lawyer and community conservation leader whose work has transformed forest governance and management across Tanzania. She began her career in 2004 supporting rural communities affected by mining and deforestation. Witnessing the social and environmental impacts of poor resource management inspired her long-term commitment to environmental justice and community empowerment. In 2007, Rahima founded MJUMITA, Tanzania’s only network dedicated to community-led forest conservation. She leads a movement spanning 503 villages, 132 community-based organizations, and over 15,000 members across 16 regions. She supports community stewardship of nearly two million hectares of forest, strengthening local rights to manage, protect, and benefit from forest resources for improved livelihoods of the local communities. Her leadership has earned international recognition, including the UNDP Equator Prize and the JHIDE Award. As a leading woman in conservation, Rahima inspires emerging female leaders and champions inclusive, rights-based solutions that benefit people, nature, and climate.
Reuben Lendira
Conservancy Manager
Sera Community Conservancy
Kenya
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Reuben is a conservation leader, an expert in indigenous and local communities’ engagement. He was a pioneer staff of Sera Conservancy, initially as a Community Development Officer, and in 2005 became the Conservancy Manager. Reuben’s quiet and consistent leadership has been vital in ensuring ambitious projects, like the first ever community-owned and managed rhino sanctuary, was a success and has strong community support into the future. Over the years, he has navigated the complexities of community-led conservation building trust with partners, donors and government agencies.
Richard Griffiths
Senior Advisor & Head of State Practice Lead
ArentFox Schiff
USA
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Richard counsels, advises, and leads the international strategy efforts on behalf of foreign governments in multiple regions of the world. Richard has significant experience providing Head of State advisory, crisis and reputational management, international lobby, and foreign policy advisory services to foreign national governments. Richard advises various Heads of State on political and multilateral agency election campaigns and is highly regarded for his strategic insight, track 2 diplomacy skills, and collaborative and inclusive international consensus building approach. He is an expert advisor to the United Nations, Advisory Board member of Concordia, and a special advisor to the president of Special Olympics, a leading organization for competitive athletes with intellectual disabilities and a global movement involving more than 169 countries and 5.3 million participants.
Simon Kipila
Chief Operating Officer
The Maa Trust
Kenya
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Simon Kipila is the Chief Operating Officer (COO) at The Maa Trust, where he oversees the operational management and coordination of multiple community development programs across education, WASH, conservation, and livelihoods. With extensive experience in programme management, logistics, and stakeholder engagement, Simon ensures that projects run efficiently and achieve meaningful impact for communities in the Maasai Mara, Narok County.
Siphiwe Lutibezi
Southern Africa Portfolio
Maliasili
Namibia
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Siphiwe Lutibezi is part of Maliasili’s Southern Africa portfolio team, leading the organisation’s work in Namibia. She brings experience communicating community-based natural resource management initiatives, with a strong focus on storytelling, youth engagement, and amplifying community-led conservation. Previously, Siphiwe served as Communications Manager at WWF Namibia and provided national-level communications support to NACSO, where she helped strengthen the visibility and influence of community conservation. She is known for translating complex conservation and governance work into clear, compelling narratives that support learning, collaboration, and effective decision-making.
Dr. Siro Masinde
Program Officer
JRS
Kenya
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Siro Masinde is a Program Officer at the JRS Biodiversity Foundation, a grant-making organization supporting biodiversity conservation in Sub-Saharan Africa. JRS-funded projects focus on biodiversity informatics, generating data and information, and developing the digital tools needed by conservation practitioners, researchers, and policy-makers to enable data-driven action and decision-making. Siro has extensive experience at both local and global levels in natural and cultural heritage research and conservation, and the mobilization and sharing of biodiversity data and information through open-access platforms. He enjoys supporting prospective grantees in developing strong proposals and advising them through implementation to maximize impact. To him, preserving this rich heritage isn't just a career, but an urgent call to keep nature’s symphony playing.
Sophia Leroy
Programme Assistant/ Monitoring & Evaluation Officer
Mali Elephant Project
United Kingdom
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Following a winding path across continents - traveling, working various jobs, and returning to university, Sophia joined Mali Elephant Landscapes nearly eight years ago, and it has been an incredible journey filled with surprises and learning. Working at the crossroads of all her interests has brought conservation to life and shown what it truly means to practice it.
Steven Mytton
Head of Communications
Tusk Trust
United Kingdom
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With over 20 years’ experience in PR and communications, Steve is one of the newest members of the Tusk team, having known the charity through his previous role at Longleat Safari Park, a longstanding Tusk partner. Having grown up in Somerset near Tusk HQ, he now lives with his young family close to the Tusk UK offices . Steve is eager to strengthen Tusk’s communications strategy and amplify the voices of its project partners.
Dr. Susan Canney
Board Member & Director of Mali Elephant Landscapes
Mali Elephant Project
UK
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Susan Canney has been working in the science and practice of conservation for nearly 40 years, having worked on a variety of nature conservation projects across Africa, Asia and Europe. She is the Founder-Director of Mali Elephant Landscapes (MEL) which works with local partners – all parts of local communities and government – to make space for an iconic, desert-adapted elephant population in ways that provide local benefit and foster coexistence. She also worked as a research officer for the UK Government’s independent adviser on sustainable development at the Green College Centre for Environmental Policy & Understanding. She is a Research Associate of the Department of Biology, Oxford University, a Trustee of Tusk Trust, a Tusk Conservation Award Judge, a Board Member of the Sahara Conservation, an Advisor to Chengeta Wildlife, a member of the IUCN-SSC African Elephant Specialist Group, and the Human Wildlife Conflict and Coexistence Group; and the World Commission on Protected Areas. She has co-authored a book on “Conservation” for Cambridge University Press.
Theresa Sowry
CEO
Southern African Wildlife College
South Africa
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Ms Theresa Sowry, CEO of the Southern African Wildlife College, holds a Master of Science Degree in Botany from the University of the Witswatersrand, South Africa. She gained conservation experience while employed by South African National Parks working on their rare antelope programme in the Kruger National Park. Starting in the education field as a Training Manager and Lecturer in Natural Resource Management, she was later promoted to Executive Manager: Training and more recently to CEO of the Wildlife College.
Victoria Foord
Head of Development
Conservation South Luangwa
Zambia
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Victoria is Head of Development at Conservation South Luangwa, leading fundraising, donor relations and strategic communications, while also playing a key role in organisational development and programme design. She works closely with senior leadership and technical teams to align funding strategies with long-term conservation priorities across the South Luangwa Valley. She has a background in international conservation and development, with professional experience across southern Africa. Her career has centred on strengthening organisations operating in complex, resource-constrained environments, supporting both strategic growth and practical, field-driven programme design.
Winfred Nduati
Conservation Partnerships Manager
Tusk Trust
Kenya
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Before joining Tusk Trust, Winfred worked at Ol Pejeta Conservancy where she was tasked with curating itineraries and hosting long stay guests. At Tusk, she assists in planning the annual Lewa Safari Marathon, Tusk Conservation Symposium, Tusk Conservation Awards and Wildlife Ranger Challenge.
Yamina Karitanyi
Tusk Trustee
Tusk Trust
Rwanda
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Yamina Karitanyi is a distinguished diplomat who served as the Rwandan High Commissioner to the UK from 2016-2021, where she effectively promoted and strengthened bilateral and multilateral relations. As well as also having served as Rwandan High Commissioner to Kenya, she has played a significant role within the Rwanda Development Board, heading the Tourism and Conservation docket where her efforts were instrumental in positioning Rwanda as a competitive and attractive tourism and investment destination on the global stage. As CEO of the Rwanda Mines, Petroleum & Gas Board, Yamina drove growth with the highest Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) standards. She joined the Board in 2024.
