WILDAID - Key Persons
Job Titles:
- Member of the Board of Directors
Alan is a serial entrepreneur with nearly thirty years' experience creating software companies. He's currently founder and CEO of Perka, a mobile loyalty app that helps businesses turn occasional visitors into loyal regulars. He was formerly the CEO of Zenbe, an email suite that reinvented web-based email, which was acquired by Facebook in 2010. Zenbe also produced a successful task list app, Zenbe Lists, one of the first 500 apps in the Apple app Store. Prior to Zenbe, Alan founded and led iAmaze to develop cutting edge Javascript applications. iAmaze was acquired by AOL in 2000. Alan has dual degrees in electrical engineering and computer engineering from Carnegie Mellon University. Before joining the WildAid board, Alan and his wife, Buffy Redsecker, have been a long time supporters of WildAid. And they are both keen wildlife photographers. They both accompanied WildAid on its annual whale shark trip in 2011 and are excited to play a more active role with WildAid in the coming years.
Concerned about the plight of whales as a teenager, Bev's passion for wildlife conservation and environmental protection began at a young age. She has continued her dedication to this cause throughout her life and been an integral part of the WildAid board for 8 years. Having worked for 30 years in the fashion industry, Bev brought her idea for an annual WildAid gala to fruition in both San Francisco and Los Angeles. She continues to be an instrumental part of the design process and overall success of WildAid's gala, which has become the organization's largest fundraising event.
Job Titles:
- CANADA TRUSTEE
- Television and Film Actor and Producer
Bo Derek is an American television and film actor and producer. Derek is best known for her breakout role in the romantic comedy film 10 and Tommy Boy Bo Derek is a long-time advocate for animal welfare. In 2006, she was appointed U.S. Special Envoy of the Secretary of State for wildlife trafficking issues. She was also appointed Commissioner of the California Horse Racing Board by the Governor of California and is a spokesperson for the Animal Welfare Institute's national campaign to end horse slaughter through passage of the American Horse Slaughter Prevention Act. Bo chaired the Department of Veterans Affairs National Rehabilitation Special Events, whose games are designed to help veterans overcome their disabilities through sports and competition. Bo now serves on WildAid's International Advisory Board.
Bryce Groark is a wildlife photographer and cinematographer specializing in the marine environment. In 2004, he started Living Ocean Productions in Kona, Hawaii. His award-winning work has been featured in magazines, newspapers, numerous domestic and international television networks as well as a myriad of international film festivals, aquariums and museums around the world. Sharks and large pelagic species are Bryce's passion. For years, his images have worked to showcase the plight of sharks around the globe. He has made films and worked with conservation groups and policy makers by raising awareness and supporting multiple forms of legislation protecting sharks. In 2010, Bryce assisted in helping Hawaii become the safest place in the world for sharks, with the passage of a law that prohibits the possession, sale or trade of any shark fin products in the state.
Carol has had a lifelong love of animals and the ocean. She served as Senior Vice President of Strategic Planning for the Animal Hospital Division of VCA, Inc. There she oversaw strategy and marketing, pricing, and training initiatives for over 500+ animal hospitals. She also developed operational "Best Practices" and led the integration of large multi-unit acquisitions. Prior to VCA, Carol was a partner and COO of a veterinary start-up. Earlier in her career, she was a Vice President in the Corporate Finance Department of The First Boston Corporation and began her career at Bankers Trust Company financing Mexican companies. Carol earned her MBA from the Harvard Business School and an AB in Biology from Cornell University. She and her husband raised their two children in Los Angeles where you can often find Carol rowing among the sea lions and pelicans. Inspired by her interest in conservation, Carol and her family have created a small wildlife sanctuary near their home in north Idaho. She was drawn to WildAid because of the organization's unique strategies for protecting both land and sea creatures, and their habitats.
Carolyn works with WildAid's Marine Program to support institutional fundraising for project sites. Carolyn has 20+ years working in ocean conservation and brings a strong understanding of the importance of MPAs and community-based coastal/fisheries management. Carolyn helped build and secure funding for the COMPASS California program, in conjunction with Stanford University, to improve science communication and public engagement in the implementation of MPA networks. With NOAA, Carolyn co-led an initiative of government agencies, universities, and NGOs to advance understanding of the connections between ocean/wildlife health and human health. She is co-author of The Death and Life of Monterey Bay: A Story of Revival and a contributing author to The Ocean: The Ultimate Handbook of Nautical Knowledge; Global Climate Change and Human Health: From Science to Practice, and national policy reports. Her work has been featured on NPR, PBS, BBC, and in National Geographic, SEVENSEAS and Sunset magazines. She loves to travel with her children to remote islands and share stories about intersection of culture, wildlife and sustainability.
Job Titles:
- Senior Counsellor to the Prince of Wales 's International Sustainability Unit
Claudia is currently senior counsellor to the Prince of Wales's International Sustainability Unit, representing the sustainability work of the prince's charities in the United States. She has worked as a lawyer, policymaker and diplomat, focusing on issues related to the environment, energy, natural resource conservation, and sustainability. Before joining the prince's charities, Ms. McMurray served as senior counsel to the commission investigating the BP oil spill, and CEO of Mainstream Green Solutions. Ms. McMurray has held positions as assistant secretary of state for oceans, environment and science, deputy assistant secretary of state for environment, and associate deputy administrator of the US Environmental Protection Agency. She currently serves on the board of directors of Panthera and on the advisory boards of the Energy and Enterprise Initiative, the Women's Council on Energy and the Environment, and the Cheetah Conservation Fund.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Board of Directors
David Haslingden owns and operates a network of television production companies comprising NHNZ, Beach House Productions and Northern Pictures. Previously, Mr. Haslingden was president and COO of Fox Networks Group, which includes the Fox broadcast network, FX, National Geographic, Nat Geo Wild, Fox Sports, Speed and Fuel in the United States, and all Fox, National Geographic, Star and other Fox owned channels in more than 50 countries. Mr. Haslingden has sat on a number of industry boards in the United States including the National Cable and Telecommunications Association. He is also chairman of Nine Entertainment, Australia's largest television broadcast network group. Mr. Haslingden attended Sydney and Cambridge Universities and lives in Sydney with his wife and two daughters.
David Kracke is an attorney in Portland, Oregon specializing in environmental issues including endangered species protection. He has authored and co-authored eight laws in the state, including a 2022 law focused on zoonotic disease and the banning of live animal markets, making Oregon the first state in the USA to do so. In 2011, David was part of the legislative team that banned the possession, sale and trade of shark fins within Oregon, and in 2017, he wrote the initial draft of Oregon's landmark anti-poaching law which dramatically increased penalties for poaching Oregon's wildlife, including bear and cougar. He served on the board of directors of the Rhino Trust where he worked closely with the late Anna Merz. David studied international environmental law at Lewis and Clark Law School in Portland, and at the University of Nairobi Law School in Kenya.
Beverly Joubert are award-winning filmmakers from Botswana, with five Emmys and a Peabody to their names. Their mission is the conservation and understanding of the large predators and key African wildlife species. The couple has been filming, researching and exploring in Africa for over 25 years. Their coverage of unique predator behavior has resulted in 20 films, six books, and many articles. In the year the Jouberts spent as National Geographic explorers-in-residence, they produced two films, two books and two magazine articles for National Geographic. The Jouberts also won a Panda award in the United Kingdom. Recently, they have expanded ecotourism/community partnerships via their company, Great Plains.
Job Titles:
- Galápagos Project Manager
Diana has worked as WildAid Marine's Galapagos Program Manager since 2013, managing projects and partner relationships in the Galapagos National Park. Trained as a biologist, her relationships with the park and extensive knowledge of marine species has helped WildAid Marine successfully implement and fundraise for enforcement work, such as the installation of the new AIS monitoring system, systematic training, community outreach initiatives, fisheries monitoring, and biosecurity program launch.
Donna is a wildlife conservationist, community volunteer, philanthropist, and backyard farmer. She has degrees in Hospital Administration, Veterinary Technology, and Animal Husbandry. Her work transitioned from the veterinary and wildlife rehabilitation fields to not-for-profit environmental conservation in the 90s. Board positions with an international marine wildlife organization and local community nonprofits soon followed. Donna brings 15 years of nonprofit board experience to WildAid and is thrilled to be a part of an organization which promotes change of mindset. She believes that scientific study and local protection of threatened species are crucial, but insufficient to conserve biodiversity. For wildlife to thrive in the long-term, human perception of the importance of wildlife must be changed. Donna and her husband are deeply committed to several projects around the globe that protect vulnerable species and restore balance to habitats and ecosystems for animals, plants and people.
Job Titles:
- Executive Director of the Institute for Ocean Conservation Science
Dr. Ellen K. Pikitch is the executive director of the Institute for Ocean Conservation Science and a professor at the School of Marine and Atmospheric Sciences at Stony Brook University. Recognized as an international expert in ocean conservation science, she has authored and edited more than 100 articles and books on fisheries science and management. The scientific work of Dr. Pikitch has informed policy decisions such as the listings of both the Atlantic and beluga sturgeon under the U.S. Endangered Species Act, a U.S. ban on the sale of beluga caviar, and passage of the U.S. Shark Finning Prohibition Act. Dr. Pikitch received a PhD in zoology from Indiana University and MA and BS degrees in mathematics from the City College of New York.
Dr. Jordan Shlain is a practicing internist and graduate of UC Berkeley and Georgetown University Medical School. Dr. Shlain consults with many companies, non-profits and physician organizations to assist them in patient-focused innovation, and he founded the Current Health Medical Group in 1997. He is the president of the national American Academy of Private Physicians and has served as an assistant clinical professor at UCSF and a board member for the San Francisco Medical Society. In 2008, he won the Pioneer in Medical Practice award in Washington D.C. In 2010, he was appointed by the mayor of San Francisco to sit as a commissioner for the Health Services Systems Board. In 2011, he was named to the physician advisory board of OptumInsight, a global leader in health IT analytics and services.
After receiving her PhD from Duke, Dr. Earle started her career as a research fellow at Harvard, then went on to the resident directorship of the Cape Haze Marine Laboratory in Florida. In 1969, she led the all-female Tektite II, Mission 6 living for weeks in an enclosed habitat on the ocean floor fifty feet below the surface. After, she began to write for National Geographic and to produce books and films. 1979, Dr. Earle walked untethered on the sea floor at a lower depth than any living human being before or since. She described this adventure in her 1980 book: "Exploring the Deep Frontier." In the 1980s, along with engineer Graham Hawkes, she started the companies Deep Ocean Engineering and Deep Ocean Technologies. In the early 1990s, Dr. Earle took a leave of absence from her companies to serve as chief scientist of the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration. There, among other duties, she was responsible for monitoring the health of the nation's waters. Today she is explorer-in-residence at the National Geographic Society. Dr. Earle is married and has three children.
Job Titles:
- Chairman and Founder of BDA China
- UK TRUSTEE
Duncan Clark is chairman and founder of BDA China, an investment advisory he established in Beijing in 1994. Duncan is also an angel investor in mobile apps related companies, including App Annie subsequently invested by Sequoia Capital. He serves on the advisory board of the digital communication fund of the Geneva-based private bank Pictet & Cie. He has also a partner in a Beijing-based film production company CIB Productions. A graduate of the London School of Economics & Political Science, Duncan was invited as a visiting scholar to Stanford University where he co-founded the influential China 2.0 research initiative. He has lived in China for twenty years and divides his time between bases in Beijing, London and the San Francisco Bay Area. A former chairman of the British Chamber of Commerce in China, Duncan was appointed officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II in the 2013 New Year Honours List for services to British commercial interests in China.
Elisabeth Pang Fullerton is a venture partner, social entrepreneur and philanthropist for her family office and foundation. She is an active investor and advisor for early stage startups that focus in the areas of network solutions, enterprise software, biotech/life sciences, digital healthcare, edu-tech and media. Elisabeth also sits on various non-profit boards and pioneers fundraising efforts. Her philanthropic focus is to improve human conditions in health care, education, and human rights for underrepresented children, women and minorities. Additionally, Elisabeth is an award winning independent and documentary film and television producer. Her film "Test" was nominated for the Teddy Awards and Independent Spirit Awards. Elisabeth previously worked as a marketing executive for various high tech companies ranging from peripherals, catalytic converters and wireless communications to solar manufacturers.
Ellie is an active supporter of many environmental, wildlife and animal welfare causes, but elephants have always had her heart. While working and traveling in Africa for a malaria prevention project, she became aware of the tragedy unfolding for elephants. She is dedicated to making a difference for wildlife by joining WildAid. An avid equestrian, Ellie lives in Sonoma and is the owner of Durell Vineyard and founder of Dunstan Wines. She attended the University of California at Berkeley.
Job Titles:
- Director of Public Relations at the X PRIZE Foundation
Eric Desatnik is the director of public relations at the X PRIZE Foundation. Prior to X PRIZE, Eric spearheaded communications efforts at WildAid. He founded and programmed the Environmental Film Festival at Yale, and alongside Ryan Reynolds and Scarlett Johansson, served as executive producer of the documentary "The Whale". Eric's background in the entertainment industry includes positions at George Magazine, Management 360, and BWR Public Relations, where he executed publicity campaigns for clients including Brad Pitt, Adam Sandler, and Sirius Satellite Radio. Eric holds a master of environmental management degree from Yale University and is certified as a LEED Accredited Professional by the U.S. Green Building Council.
Federico Angermeyer, known as Fiddi, was born in Ecuador's Galapagos Islands to parents who immigrated from Germany in the mid-1930s. He grew up fishing and assisting with the family yacht chartering and tour business. As a young man, Fiddi attended university in Los Angeles where he lived with ocean explorer Sylvia Earle. At the age of 21, he began captaining boats, which have included the Charles Darwin research vessel Beagle III, the tall ship Mary Anne that he sailed across the Atlantic in 2005, and the recently renamed WildAid's Passion. Mary Anne and WildAid's Passion remain owned and operated by Fiddi, and are used for ecotours of the Galapagos. Fiddi's parents taught him to respect wildlife and to protect the ocean from threats like plastic pollution. He is passionate about the planet and believes strongly in giving back by creating awareness for conservation. A portion of proceeds from Galapagos expeditions on WildAid's Passion contribute to the organization's marine protection program in the islands.
Frans Lanting has been hailed as one of the great nature photographers of our time. His influential work appears in books, magazines, and exhibitions around the world. For more than two decades he has documented wildlife and our relationship with nature in environments from the Amazon to Antarctica. Lanting's work has been commissioned frequently by National Geographic, where he served as a photographer-in-residence. He has received numerous prestigious awards for his work, including the Lennart Nilsson Award in 2005. In 2001 H.R.H. Prince Bernhard inducted him as a Knight in the Royal Order of the Golden Ark, the Netherlands' highest conservation honor. He has received top honors from World Press Photo, the title of BBC Wildlife Photographer of the Year, and the Sierra Club's Ansel Adams Award. He has been honored as a fellow of the Royal Photographic Society in London.
Job Titles:
- Exulans Managing Director
- Senior Enforcement Advisor
Gregg currently serves as Exulans Managing Director to promote sustainability and conservation of fishery resources by providing pragmatic advice and strategic solutions to organizations concerned with ocean sustainability. Marine conservation strategy development and execution is their core skill, with an expertise in the field of fisheries compliance and enforcement. He previously served in the U.S. Coast Guard for 20 years, specializing in fisheries enforcement.
Harry ‘Hank' Lynch is an established nonprofit leader and fund-raising authority. He holds a Master of Science degree from the University of Delaware, where he was selected into the prestigious Longwood Fellowship program and a Bachelor of Science degree in Horticulture from the University of Maryland. He studied advanced executive leadership and management at Harvard University's John F. Kennedy School of Government and the University of Pennsylvania's Wharton Executive program.
Jackie Chan is an internationally renowned kung-fu action hero. He has been acting since the 1970s and has appeared in over 100 films. Chan has received stars on the Hong Kong Avenue of Stars and the Hollywood Walk of Fame. He is a keen philanthropist and a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador, having worked tirelessly to champion charitable works and causes. He has campaigned for conservation, against animal abuse, and has promoted disaster relief efforts for floods in mainland China and the 2004 Indian Ocean Tsunami. He strongly supports tiger conservation programs and has filmed numerous PSAs with WildAid since 2002.
Director James Cameron and former California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger give an inside look at filming this climate message.
Jeanne Sedgwick is the former director of the conservation program at the David and Lucile Packard Foundation in Los Altos, California where she oversaw the program's growth from an annual grants budget of $500,000 and a staff of two in 1989 to over $100 million annually, managed by a staff of seventeen. Under her direction, the conservation program launched the 5-year, $175 million Conserving California Landscapes Initiative, which helped protect nearly 500,000 acres of California's critical habitats, as well as the China Energy Program, and national and international conservation programs on marine fisheries, coral reefs, and oldgrowth forests. Sedgwick has served in a variety of board positions, most recently including chairman of the board of the Consultative Group on Biological Diversity, the national affinity group of private foundations working on biodiversity conservation, and vice chairman of the board of trustees at Phillips Brooks School, an independent school in Menlo Park, California. She is a member of the coordinating committee at Jasper Ridge Biological Preserve at Stanford University, as well as an advisory board member of the Lane Center for the American West at Stanford. Further, Sedgwick is a trustee and chair of the governance committee of the Resources Legacy Fund in Sacramento, and a member of the advisory board of Island Press in Washington, D.C. She is a graduate of Stanford University. Jeanne previously served on the WildAid Board of Directors.
Jim Shaughnessy has more than 25 years' experience as a strategic legal executive for leading technology companies. Since 2011, Jim has served as senior vice president, general counsel and secretary of Workday, the leading cloud platform for human capital management, financial management and analytics. He is a director of BSA, The Software Alliance, the leading trade association for the software industry. Before Workday, Jim served as senior vice president, chief administrative officer and general counsel at Orbitz Worldwide. Earlier positions include senior vice president and general counsel at Lenovo Group, senior vice president, general counsel and secretary at PeopleSoft, and deputy general counsel for Hewlett-Packard and Compaq Computer Corp. Jim holds a Juris Doctor degree and a master's degree in public policy from the University of Michigan, as well as a bachelor's degree from Northern Michigan University. He serves on the University of Michigan Law School Development and Alumni Relations Committee. An avid offshore sailor, Jim is awed by the majesty of the earth's oceans and is committed to promoting their heath through programs to reduce pollution, stop overfishing and protect sensitive marine habitats.
Johan Ernst Nilson is a Swedish explorer, photographer, philanthropist and television producer. He started his career in the early 1990s with research expeditions to Antarctica and the Arctic to document wildlife and climate change for Discovery Channel. He has continued to document wildlife and nature for over 20 years and has today explored 162 countries on seven continents. He is called an "Adventure Activist" for his way of connecting adventures with research and charity. In 2016 alone, Johan raised $4.7 million for charity projects in wildlife, nature, glaciers and aids research.
John leads and manages WildAid's global programs including program strategy, institutional fundraising, and international program management. Since 2013, John has helped expand WildAid demand reduction campaigns in Asia and managed organizational growth with a doubling in staff, funding and budget. He brings valuable expertise from 15 years of leading and managing conservation programs in Southeast Asia and 12 years at Point Blue Conservation Science. John's entrepreneurial spirit and hands-on attitude have helped launch innovative rural development projects in Thailand with pre-eminent social entrepreneur Mechai Viravaidya, manage a conservation program for the largest protected area in Laos, and establish an award-winning family planning program for the Vietnam Women's Union. He also researched and edited a guidebook to Thai national parks and a coffee table book on Thai flora and fauna. During one watershed moment in recent Thai political history, John seized the opportunity to write speeches for Thailand's former Prime Minister Anand Panyarachun. He speaks Thai, Lao and proficient Vietnamese.
Job Titles:
- Chairman, CEO and Founder of AdmieMobile LLC
Jonathan M. Conrad is the chairman, CEO and founder of AdmieMobile LLC an early stage company and the co-inventor of AdmieMobile's peer-to-peer software. He was instrumental in the creation of the federal legislation enabling broad-based use of employee stock ownership plans, and served on a federal transportation committee during the Reagan Administration. Conrad also served as a senior advisor to the original X PRIZE for space travel, and is currently a member of the Harvard North Pole Discovery Centennial Commemorative Committee. He has chaired and led the discussions for a series of "green dinners" at The Explorers Club, where he is a medalist and former director and officer. Conrad is a graduate and trustee of Washington and Jefferson College, and resides in New York.
Job Titles:
- Chairman of the Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati
Katharine Martin is chair of the Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati (WSGR) board of directors and a partner in the firm, where she practices corporate and securities law. Her practice includes all aspects of public and private company representation, including public offerings, private placements and mergers and acquisitions with an emphasis in technology companies. She has also represented underwriters in public offerings and issuers and investors in private equity financings. Katie joined WSGR after twelve years at Pillsbury Madison & Sutro LLP, where she was a partner. She graduated from the University of California at Berkeley and the University of the Pacific McGeorge School of Law.
Job Titles:
- Founder and President of a Boutique Search Firm, Kathy Macdonald Associates, Inc
Kathy is the founder and president of a boutique search firm, Kathy Macdonald Associates, Inc., which provides retained search and consulting services exclusively for CEOs nationwide. Prior to creating and establishing her successful firm 23 years ago, Kathy served in top administrative management positions at the international consulting firm of Booz Allen & Hamilton and the worldwide executive search firm of Spencer Stuart. She received her B.A. in International Affairs from the University of Colorado. Born and raised in Hawaii, Kathy developed an early passion for dolphins and ocean conservation. She has been a lifelong advocate for the protection of animals and their habitats. She has served on WWF's marine leadership committee and has created successful fundraising events for WWF and the American Oceans Campaign.
Job Titles:
- Head of Strategy for Tech Ecosystems at Meta
Kristan is the Head of Strategy for Tech Ecosystems at Meta (Facebook), where he and his team work to ensure open and equal access to metaverse technologies. Prior to Meta, he was on the Strategy Team at YouTube (Google). Before transitioning into tech, Kristan specialized in military policy and geopolitical strategy for the RAND Corporation and Northrop Grumman. He is an analytically driven leader who combines data science with strategy. He holds a B.A. in Economics, B.S. in Aerospace Engineering, M.B.A. and M.S. in Industrial Engineering. A scuba instructor and sailor in his free time, Kristan has witnessed first hand the impact of global warming and our demand for wildlife products on biodiversity and ecosystems. WildAid's unique mission of reducing the demand for wildlife products instantly resonated with Kristan as it is a sustainable and scalable strategy to protect earth's ecosystems.
Job Titles:
- Latin America Regional Director
Manuel has worked in biological conservation and coastal resources management for the last 25 years. As WildAid Marine's Latin America Regional Director, he oversees the implementation of WildAid Marine's program work throughout Latin America, including existing programs in the Galapagos Marine Reserve and network of coastal Ecuador MPAs, as well as launching new projects in Chile and Cuba. Prior to WildAid Marine, Manuel worked in various Ecuadorian governmental agencies: as the facilitator for the Participatory Management Council for the Galapagos Marine Reserve, General Director of Fisheries, General Director of Aquaculture, and Vice Minister of the Ministry of Environment, and he has spent the past 18 years focused on enforcement of MPAs and mangrove concessions. He holds a Master's degree in Management of Bioaquatic Resources and the Environment, and is certified in sustainable development and coastal management.
Job Titles:
- Independent Consultant
- Senior Program Advisor
Marcel is an independent consultant advising WildAid Marine on its program expansion efforts, conducting due-diligence, assessment and implementation activities for the program. Previously Marcel was the WildAid Marine Program Director. Having worked in varying capacities both domestically and internationally for the past 15 years, he is seasoned in the design and management of complex humanitarian, development and marine conservation programs. Marcel joined WildAid in 2004 when he directed WildAid's awareness campaigns in Ecuador, carried out investigative research on the shark fin trade and collaborated on small business initiatives with Galapagueños. He later served as the Deputy Executive Director where he provided financial and administrative oversight of SF Headquarters as WildAid grew from a $2m to $5m annual organization. Prior to joining WildAid, he worked in Nicaragua for five years in reconstruction projects following Hurricane Mitch. He has a BA in International Studies and a MPA in International Management and Environmental Policy from the Monterey Institute of International Studies.
After earning an undergraduate degree in business administration and a graduate degree in international business studies, Mary O'Malley's professional experience included market analysis, systems design, project management, large enterprise sales, and international sales management with responsibility for building and managing worldwide distribution networks. Since retiring from business in 2005, she dove with and photographed manta rays and over 30 different species of sharks throughout the world. Mary volunteers her time to shark and manta ray conservation, including acting as co-project lead for the Manta Ray of Hope project that addresses the urgent threat to manta and mobula rays. In this capacity, she co-wrote the WildAid/Shark Savers report, "The Global Threat to Manta and Mobula Rays," was lead author of "The Direct Economic Impact of Manta Ray Watching Tourism," which was published in the peer-reviewed PlosONE scientific journal. She also contributed to the drafting of the proposal to include both manta ray species on Appendix II of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), as well as documents supporting legal protection for manta rays in their range countries. O'Malley has also worked on numerous shark conservation initiatives, including the Raja Ampat Shark and Ray Sanctuary, the I'm FINished with FINS campaign, protection for lemon, hammerhead and tiger sharks in Florida, and US state shark fin bans. She continues to actively support WildAid's shark and manta ray programs. Mary previously served on the board of directors of Shark Savers, is an associate director of The Manta Trust, and serves on the steering committee for The Blue Book Building and Construction Network.
Job Titles:
- Senior Vice President at CBS Television Network
Matthew Margo is a senior vice president at CBS Television Network. He is a graduate of Harvard Law School and practiced business law and litigation before joining CBS. Mr. Margo served on the advisory board of the Harvard School of Public Health, Center for Communications, and the Mountain Gorilla Conservation Fund. He now serves on the director's advisory council at the National Institute of Health. He previously served on the advisory boards of the Harvard Public Health Review and the Better Business Bureaus Foundation. He was a global and US judge for the British Airways Tourism for Tomorrow Awards, initiated by BA Chairman Lord Marshall, and which recognizes eco-tourism.
Job Titles:
- Marine 's Program Director
- Marine Program Director
As WildAid Marine's Program Director, Meaghan Brosnan is working to make the promise of marine protection real. She has worked for over 15 years to reduce illegal fishing activity around the world, and is an expert in domestic and international fisheries management, compliance, and enforcement. She spent four years at-sea enforcing fisheries law and served as the deputy chief of the Coast Guard's Living Marine Resources Enforcement program. Meaghan was also the lead manager of the Pew Charitable Trusts' End Illegal Fishing Campaign. Additionally, she founded Exulans, Inc., a global consultancy providing compliance and enforcement solutions for ocean conservation to governments, the private sector, and non-governmental organizations. In these roles, Meaghan has worked in collaboration with senior government leaders and diverse public and private sector organizations in East Africa, Southeast Asia, the Western and Central Pacific, Central America, and the United States. Meaghan continues to serve in the U.S. Coast Guard Reserve, leading an incident response team in the San Francisco Bay area.
Meredith graduated from Miami University with degrees in business and botany. She worked in healthcare for many years, starting in pharmaceutical sales and then in the cardiac transplant space in many roles, including forming, training and managing sales organizations, developing international marketing programs, and creating physician and nursing education at a series of small cardiovascular device companies and genomics start-ups. She now applies her time and enthusiasm to causes that resonate with her. Meredith has served on the board of Meals on Wheels of San Francisco, and in response to the 2017 Sonoma fires, she began a project called Re-Source - committed to getting items to those impacted by the fires. It is run 100% on volunteer effort and has zero overhead. Together with her husband Barry, she avidly supports programs that provide access to education for disadvantaged communities. WildAid is a perfect marriage of many things important to Meredith - passion for conservation of land and creatures, sustainability, and pragmatic, economically viable solutions to urgent difficult problems. She loves flora, fauna and wine. In her spare time, she loves to cook with local and sustainably grown produce. She has a dog that is bigger than she is.
Job Titles:
- Apio System 's Chief Customer Officer
Michael Skoletsky is Apio System's chief customer officer, guiding Apio's development of a disruptive mobile platform to be highly useful to its customers. Michael began in traditional advertising, working with Procter & Gamble, Pepsi-Cola, and Coca-Cola. He is founder and president of Panolog and has held positions at Viant and Blast Radius. Michael applied his leadership, marketing and communication abilities to the cause of shark conservation as co-founder and executive director of Shark Savers, leading the organization from its creation to making a major impact on protecting sharks and rays. Shark Savers has now been merged into WildAid.
Mike Dinsdale is currently the CFO of San Francisco-based "Gusto!". Prior to DoorDash, Mike was formerly CFO of DocuSign, where he was a key part of the team that built the company to a value of over $3 billion while raising over $500 million. Mike also held other CFO roles since moving to the Bay Area in 2001, when he switched careers from engineering. He earned a BS in engineering from the University of Western Ontario and an MBA from McMaster University. Mike also holds the CFA designation.
Mindy Henderson is a native San Franciscan who specializes in San Francisco residential real estate. She is a founder and past board member of San Francisco Ballet's ENCORE! and was a member of the San Francisco Ballet Auxiliary for 11 years. Mindy is also a member of the San Francisco Zoological Society board of directors. She founded the San Francisco Zoo Auxiliary and was president for three years. Mindy is also a past and current board member of the Town and Country Club and the California Tennis Club. Mindy has also served as a leader in her church, St. Mary the Virgin. Mindy attended Katherine Delmar Burke School, The Branson School and UCLA.
Job Titles:
- FOUNDER
- PRESIDENT
- Formerly a Program Director
Peter Knights was formerly a program director working on illegal wildlife trade with Global Survival Network and a senior investigator for the Environmental Investigation Agency. He specialized in conducting global on-site investigations and campaigned against the trade in wild birds for pets and the consumption of endangered species in traditional Chinese medicine, such as bear gallbladder, rhino horn and tiger bone. In 1996 while working across Asia, he created the Active Conservation Awareness Program, the first international program aimed at reducing demand for endangered species products. The program used sophisticated advertising techniques, donated airtime, and celebrity spokespeople with the message, "When the buying stops, the killing can, too." He received an Associate Laureate of the Rolex Award for Enterprise for this work. Peter holds a B. Sc. in Economics from the London School of Economics.
Philippe is son of Jan and Philippe Cousteau Sr., and the grandson of Captain Jacques-Yves Cousteau. As a member of the legendary family, Philippe is continuing the work of his father as CEO of EarthEcho International, a non-profit organization he founded with his sister and mother. Philippe serves on the board of directors of The Ocean Conservancy, Marine Conservation Biology Institute, and the National Environmental Education Foundation. He is also the advisory board of Discovery Communications Inc.'s Planet Green. He holds a master's degree in history from the University of St. Andrews.
Job Titles:
- Founder of Mondavi Winery
- President of Folio Wine Partners
Rob Mondavi, Jr. is president of Folio Wine Partners and is the grandson of the late Robert Mondavi, founder of Mondavi Winery. Folio Wine Partners is family owned and employees are minority partners in the business, which is a key philosophical aspect to its business model
Robin is the founder and CEO of Farient Advisors, an executive compensation and performance consultancy. Prior to founding Farient, Robin held senior leadership roles at Marsh & McLennan Companies (MMC), Mercer (a subsidiary of MMC), SCA Consulting, a firm she cofounded, and Booz Allen & Hamilton. Robin is an expert in corporate governance and compensation. She is the author of "Fair Pay, Fair Play: Aligning Executive Performance and Pay", published in 2010. She also has been named to the Directorship 100, a list of the most influential people in the boardroom, for the past ten years. Robin received her MBA from the Harvard Business School and her BA from Duke University. Robin has been active in animal welfare and conservation for over 20 years. She was the founder of A Breed Apart Veterinary Services, a best in class veterinary hospital for companion pets and exotics, and is on the board of directors of Trupanion, Inc., a publicly-traded pet health insurance company. She is an avid supporter of WildAid, as well as numerous other animal protection organizations.
Job Titles:
- Coastal Ecuador Project Manager
Roddy has worked as WildAid Marine's Coastal Ecuador Project Manager since January 2019 and is an expert in the management of coastal and marine protected areas. Trained as a civil engineer and with a Master's degree in Environmental Management from the University of Pinar del Rio in Cuba, he has over 20 years of experience in MPA management and enforcement. He has previously worked with various international NGOs and was the Environmental Authority for the Province of Manabí in Ecuador, managing protected areas and enforcing environmental laws, as well as most recently worked with Ecuador's Ministry of the Environment in the creation of Ecuador's network of 19 coastal MPAs and their management.
Sachen is involved with many community, leadership, philanthropic, and corporate social responsibility initiatives including YPO and WEF, and serves on many corporate and institutional boards.Sachen is a successful Kenyan businessman with international multi-industry experience. Graduating in 1995 from Imperial College (UK) with an honors degree in chemistry and management, he joined the Kenyan family business. In 2002, he moved to Canada to operate the property development, FMCG, insurance and banking family businesses. In 2006, he returned to Kenya to run the family's MEA businesses growing Orbit into the region's largest FCMG toll manufacturer for multinationals, while managing the property development, chemicals, packaging, therapeutic food manufacturing, financial and investment management businesses. Sachen is involved with many community, leadership, philanthropic, and corporate social responsibility initiatives including YPO and WEF, and serves on many corporate and institutional boards.
Job Titles:
- Founder of Sundog Pictures
Sam Branson is the founder of Sundog Pictures. He is a social entrepreneur, adventurer and philanthropist - and is passionate about the medium of film and the positive impact it can have on the planet.
Job Titles:
- Founder and Executive Producer of Blue Sphere Media
Shawn Heinrichs is the founder and executive producer of Blue Sphere Media, a production company specializing in underwater and adventure films. He is a passionate scuba diver, cinematographer, photo journalist and marine conservationist. His award-winning work has been featured in broadcast, promotional and conservation productions around the world. During his career, he co-founded several successful businesses in the digital media, software and entertainment industries. Shawn also serves as the conservation moderator for WetPixel, the internet's leading underwater photo/video forum.
Entertainment, concert and television producer heavyweight, Silence Leung has been working in the production industry for over thirty years. Silence has made a name for herself since the ‘90s in China spearheading numerous major concerts for top leading Chinese singers including Anita Mui, Jacky Cheung and Faye Wong etc. Leung's creativity and vision in the industry is undeniable and she has produced concerts and reality TV shows featuring major-league celebrities which led and shaped entertainment trends and behavior in China. For more than 25 years, Silence has generously given her time to support the following charitable organizations and events: The National Tour of Disaster Reduction in 1993-1994, The Poverty Alleviation concert Live in Shanghai and Beijing 1998, The Wenchuan Earthquake Fundraising of Olympic Champions 2009 and Partnership with WildAid in 2019 to produce the shark documentary "The Gentle Giant".
Silvia has worked with WildAid Marine since 2016 to reduce illegal fishing and poaching in some of the world's most vital marien habitats. Her work includes project planning and implementation, fundraising and grant writing, and sharing marine successes with the community, as well as the creation of WildAid's Marine Tracker to evaluate marine projects on their progress towards a complete Marine Protection System. Silvia has a BA in Communication from Stanford University and an MA in International Environmental Policy from the Middlebury Institute of International Studies at Monterey. She loves traveling, reading, yoga, and exploring California with her husband, son, and two Huskies.
Job Titles:
- TREASURER
- VICE CHAIR
- Principal at AllianceBernstein
Steve Morgan is a principal at AllianceBernstein. Steve works extensively with entrepreneurs and founders of early stage companies in advance of an exit. He has a particular focus on advanced wealth transfer and tax strategies. Steve has been a wildlife supporter for many years and joined the WildAid Board because it provides an extraordinary opportunity to impact the survival of many of our most iconic species. He holds a BA, cum laude, in Finance from the University of Florida and an MBA from the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill.
Job Titles:
- Co - Founder and Former President
Co-founder and former president of WildAid, Steve Trent has over 20 years experience in environmental advocacy, investigations, training, and project management. He has conducted investigations and trained environmental and human rights advocates in more than 25 countries and managed media campaigns in more than 15 countries. Steve has been involved in campaigns on marine issues, the illegal trade in ozone-depleting substances, illegal wildlife trade and illegal logging, orangutan conservation, and environmental governance. His advocacy experience includes the US Congress, the European Parliament and Commission, national governments, and a range of international conventions including the Montreal Protocol, the Commission on Sustainable Development, and the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES).
Sue Chen founded Nova Medical Products in 1993 when she was just 23 years old with a strong vision to improve lives…with style. Sue was a finalist for the prestigious Ernst and Young Entrepreneur of the Year Award, recipient of the Community Leadership Award from the President's Council on Fitness, Sports and Nutrition, and named one of the ten most powerful entrepreneurs in Fortune Magazine's Most Powerful Women issue. In 2011, Sue helped successfully lobby the California legislature to protect sharks with the passing of the shark fin ban. Sue is an Annenberg Foundation community champion, YPO member, trustee of the California Lutheran University Board of Regents, founder of Operation Blue Pride, and director of Reef Check Foundation. She is also a shark advocate, avid diver, classical music junkie and author of "Confessions of the Walker Stalker."
Tim Kelly is an American media executive, film producer, and conservationist. He is recognized for his role in moving the National Geographic Society from a primarily print-based organization to a multimedia global force in television and digital media. He was named president of National Geographic in 2011 and has also served as president and CEO of both the National Geographic Global Media Group and National Geographic Ventures. An avid outdoorsman, Kelly is recognized for his work in developing the role of storytelling in conservation. He serves on the boards of the American Prairie Reserve and the Great Plains Conservation Trust. Kelly grew up in Colorado and earned a bachelor's degree in finance from the University of Colorado.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Board of Directors
Wendy Benchley is an ocean conservationist, marine policy advocate, and renowned global voice for protecting sharks and safeguarding our seas. She is the 2014 recipient of the International SeaKeepers Award, which is given annually to an individual or an organization that has demonstrated an extraordinary commitment to ocean conservation. Based in Washington, D.C., Wendy is actively engaged in the marine policy community and supports many of the world's leading ocean and environmental philanthropies. She was president of the board of Shark Savers and was instrumental in helping to merge the organization into WildAid. She is also an advisory board member of Ocean Champions, a non-profit political organization that supports pro-ocean congressional candidates and lobbies members of Congress on behalf of the oceans. Throughout the ‘80s and ‘90s, Wendy worked on many environmental issues as a trustee of Environmental Defense Fund. She is currently a trustee on the EDF's advisory board. Wendy started her environmental and political career in the ‘70's in her home state of New Jersey as a co-founder and trustee of the New Jersey Environmental Federation. She was elected to the Mercer County Board of Chosen Freeholders and was elected as a Princeton Borough councilwoman for three terms. Among many legislative accomplishments, she worked on smart growth and sustainability issues, playing a leadership role in bringing to fruition a prize-winning downtown development and expanding affordable housing. Wendy was married to Peter Benchley, the author of Jaws and a well-known voice for ocean conservation through his numerous books, articles and documentaries about the wonders of ocean life and its many threats.