March 2020- present   African Leadership University, School of Wildlife Conservation – Academic institution 

Research Director: leading on research on the State of the Wildlife Economy in Africa, including case studies on Gabon, Ghana, Kenya, Seychelles and South Africa and research across the continent on wildlife tourism, hunting, wildlife ranching, carbon market and non-timber forest products.

2018-2020 International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) – international conservation NGO

Senior Programme Officer: Biodiversity and Protected Areas Management (BIOPAMA) Programme Manager for Eastern and Southern Africa (BIOPAMA is funded by the European Union’s 11th Environment Development Fund)

• Overseeing the overall management of BIOPAMA across 24 Eastern and Southern African (ESA) countries, including four Western Indian Ocean islands
• Managing a project budget of EUR 4,3 million, as well as the BIOPAMA Action Grant funds of EUR 6 million
• Engagement with government and technical partner stakeholders in the 24 countries
• Management of a multi-cultural, multi-national team working in different areas of the project and in different countries (Kenya, South Africa and Rwanda)
• Liaison with global IUCN colleagues and regional BIOPAMA managers in the Caribbean, Central and Western Africa and the Pacific
• Working closely with the European Commission’s Joint Research Centre to implement BIOPAMA
• Facilitatation of regional programme inception workshops for the 24 countries, as well as workshops related to the development of the ESA State of Protected and Conserved Area (SoPACA) Report for 2020; and management effectiveness, governance and social assessment tools and approaches
• Organised and facilitated eight capacity building webinars in 2019
• Responsible for workplan development, logframe revisions and all reporting to the European Union

Technical Head of Office for IUCN South Africa
• Represent IUCN South Africa in IUCN members’ meetings
• Liaison between IUCN and the South African government

2008-2018 Wilderness Safaris (WS) – Private sector ecotourism and community development
Group Community Development and Culture Manager
• Regional research: Research design, implementation, data analysis and reporting. Conducted over 1 800 community and staff interview schedules in 7 southern African countries: Zimbabwe, Zambia, South Africa, Namibia, Malawi, Seychelles and Botswana. In 2017 conducted additional socio-economic interviews in Sinde village, Zambia.
• Regional group coordination: documentation of all community development projects and ethnic groups across the region; initiated and produce quarterly community engagement newsletters, collating information from seven countries
• Regional administration: development of an ethics charter and codes of conduct for cultural tourism; assisted regional offices with fund-raising proposals, reporting and documentation
• Group sustainability reporting: Assisted in the preparation of GRI Indicators (complying with King III) for Wilderness Safaris in 2011. Compilation of all data from six southern African countries and author of two chapters in the report: External Community and Culture in 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015 and 2016
• Regional socio-economic reporting: Reports to the WS executive on the socio-economic importance of tourism in Namibia; Botswana; Malawi; Botswana; Zambia; Zimbabwe; South Africa and the Seychelles, based on the extensive socio-economic surveys conducted with staff and community respondents
• Regional presentations: socio-economic importance of ecotourism in rural communities in southern Africa; including engagements with and presentations to various chiefs/headmen and communal property associations
• Group strategy development and implementation: development of a Group Community and Culture Strategy, 2015- 2019.
• Regional partnership development: Experience in establishing and maintaining links with strategic partners in donor, corporate, community and government sectors
• Regional management of relationships: experienced at relationship building and relationship management with contacts across a wide range of professional, cultural and social backgrounds
• Regional marketing: Collating data from regional offices for marketing purposes, including magazine articles, blogs, social media, etc. Liaised with PR staff, sharing data for press releases, annual reports and social media
• Regional community development and engagement: engagement with community trusts, headmen, associations, etc. Implementation of and reporting on various socio-economic community development projects, engagements and partnerships
• Training and capacity building: support of and implementation of training programmes and staff capacity building across six southern African countries
• Regional livelihood diversification projects: project design, implementation and reporting across the southern African region
• Empowering Women: initiation and development of an Empowering Women programme in Botswana
• Employment Equity Committee: member engaged in discussions related to employment equity at WS South Africa
2017 – 2018: Wilderness Safaris Group Sustainability Manager
• Overseeing all community, culture and conservation projects across the Group in seven countries: Botswana, Kenya, Namibia, Rwanda, South Africa, Zambia and Zimbabwe.
• Responsible for the Group Sustainability Research Policy, as well as managing partnerships with various stakeholders, including universities, NGOs, other private sector tourism operators, etc.
• Managing a tourism industry benchmarking process with other private sector tourism operators (Asilia & Singita)
• Managing the Group Sustainability Fund and the distribution of grants to the regions from this fund.

2010-2018: Children in the Wilderness (CITW) – Non-profit organisation
2013-2017 Regional Programme Director
• Management of the distribution of regional grants to the country CITW programmes
• Environmental education resource book development
• Regional programme coordination across six southern African countries
• Regional strategy development and implementation
• Financial management; budgeting; regional fundraising
• Regional marketing and branding
• Regional data analysis and reporting
• Personnel management
• Regional operations and administration
• Management and implementation of regional fundraising initiatives
• Project proposal design
• Regional newsletter development and distribution
• Website design and management
• Regional and global partnership establishment and maintenance with NGOs, government and the private sector
• Event organization for the 2014 Nedbank Tour de Tuli transboundary mountain bike ride (CITW fundraiser) through Botswana, Zimbabwe and South Africa, including organizing all government permissions and community engagement
• Coordination and involvement in CITW Tri-nations camp hosting children from Botswana, South Africa and Zimbabwe in Mapungubwe National Park in 2015 and 2016
2010-2013: Children in the Wilderness (CITW) Creative Task Team
• Member of Creative Task Team to assess and redesign environmental and educational curriculum for CITW programme in 7 southern African countries: South Africa, Namibia, Botswana, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Malawi and the Seychelles.
• Assessor of children’s programme and curricula – Pafuri Camp, Kruger National Park, 10-15th December 2010

2013- present:   IUCN WCPA Tourism and Protected Areas Specialist Group (TAPAS-SG)

The Tourism and Protected Areas Specialist (TAPAS) Group is part of the IUCN World Commission on Protected Areas (WCPA). The mission of the Specialist Group is to provide a forum where people collaborate, stimulate dialogue, share expertise, develop and disseminate knowledge, and enhance learning, in order to enable the planning, development and management of sustainable tourism in protected areas.

    Vice-Chair and Coordinator of the Community Working Group

• Development of Group Strategy (2015-2019)
• Global coordination of members
• Contribution to various sustainable tourism publications
• Participation in monthly global Exco discussions

2015- present: 10YFP Sustainable Tourism Programme: Represent TAPAS on the Multistakeholder Advisory Committee
The 10-Year Framework of Programmes on Sustainable Consumption and Production Patterns (10YFP) is a global framework of action designed to enhance international cooperation to accelerate the shift towards sustainable consumption and production (SCP) in both developed and developing countries.

2010-present:  International Journal Reviewer

Current Issues in Tourism, Environment, Development and Sustainability; Journal of Sustainable Tourism, Koedoe, The Journal of Ecology and the Natural Environment; Global Social Policy; Journal of Tourism and Hospitality Research; Tourism Management; Journal of Ecotourism

2007 – 2008:    Assistant Environmental Impact Assessment Practitioner, Sigi Bailes, EAP

• Conducting Scoping Reports and EIAs in the Sundays River Valley, Eastern Cape, South Africa for citrus farm expansion and eco-estate developments

2007:                  Relief Duty Manager, Gorah Elephant Camp, Addo Elephant National Park

• Guest relations, Banking, Housekeeping, Staff Management, F&B

2004-2007:       Assistant General Manager, River Bend Lodge, Addo Elephant National Park

• Management of Long Hope Exclusive Safari Villa, Position included Management, HR, Guiding, Reservations, F&B, Housekeeping, Conservation issues, Marketing

2003-2004:       Tourism Association General Manager, Franschhoek Wine Valley & Tourist Association

• Management of the Franschhoek Tourist Office and all staff;
• All accounting for the Association,
• Management of member and visitor relations,
• Marketing,
• Organizer of the 10^th Annual Bastille Festival in 2004,
• Fund-raising for Bastille festival

2003:                  Travelled and worked in the UK

• Assistant Manager, The Dining Room – Owner, Tony Tobin, Celebrity chef, Ready Steady Cook

2001-2002:       Game Ranger / Field Guide, Bushmanskloof Wilderness Reserve, Cederberg

2000:                  Lodge Manager, Isibindi Zulu Lodge, Kwazulu Natal

• Staff management, accounting, chef, guest relations, housekeeping, F&B, community development

1998-2000:       Community Liaison Officer / Game Ranger, Ngala Private Game Reserve, Kruger National Park

• Education: Teaching adult literacy, organising and conducting conservation lessons with local schools in Gazankulu, English lessons with Tsonga pre-schoolers, computer literacy with Tsonga staff,
• Management of the Staff Village Clinic,
• Management of all personal staff and village issues,
• Management of the staff shop, including stock-take
• Coordination of staff functions,
• Guest relations,
• Fund-raising for community projects,
• Development of the budget for community development department

1997-1998:       Economics Tutor, University of Cape Town

VOLUNTEER WORK

• 2019: Proposal reviewer for the IUCN World Conservation Congress 2020
• 2019: Member of the judging committee for the Africa Tourism Leadership Forum annual tourism awards
• 2015-2016 – Member of Masters supervisory committee for a US Masters student looking at ‘Ecotourism: conserving biocultural diversity and contributing to sustainable development.’
• Organiser of annual Christmas party for the Zithulule Daycare Centre in Olivenhoutsbosch (2010-2014)
• Volunteer on the 2012 Fedhealth Tour de Tuli transboundary mountain bike ride (CITW fundraiser), 2nd-7th August 2012
• Volunteer on the 2013 Nedbank Tour de Tuli transboundary mountain bike ride (CITW fundraiser), 2nd -7th August 2013
• Volunteer on the 2014, 2015 and 2016 Nedbank Tour de Tuli transboundary border ride (CITW fundraiser)
• Volunteer on various Children in the Wilderness environmental education camps in Botswana, Malawi, South Africa, Zambia and Zimbabwe (2008-2015)

2017-present: Tourism Planning and Development: Africa Editor

2010-present: International Journal Reviewer
Current Issues in Tourism, Environment, Development and Sustainability; Journal of Sustainable Tourism, Koedoe, The Journal of Ecology and the Natural Environment; Global Social Policy; Journal of Tourism and Hospitality Research; Fresenius Environmental Bulletin, Ambio; Tourism Management; Leisure

BOARDS/COMMITTEES/AFFILIATIONS
2018-2019: Southern African Wildlife College Trust: Trustee representing IUCN

2017-present: School of Tourism & Hospitality, University of Johannesburg: Senior Research Associate

2015-present: IUCN CEESP Theme on Indigenous Peoples, Local Communities, Equity and Protected Areas (TILCEPA): Member

2015-present: 10YFP Sustainable Tourism Programme Multi-stakeholder Advisory Committee: Member on behalf of TAPA-SG

2014-present: IUCN Commission on Environmental, Economic and Social Policy (CEESP): Member
IUCN Sustainable Use and Livelihoods Specialist Group: Member

2013-present: IUCN WCPA Tourism and Protected Areas Specialist Group (TAPA-SG): Vice-Chair
TAPA-SG Organising Committee for the IUCN World Parks Congress
IUCN WCPA TAPA-SG Community Working Group: Coordinator 2013-2019: Children in the Wilderness (CITW): Director on the Board in Botswana 2012-present: The International Ecotourism Society: Professional Member

2011-present: Children in the Wilderness (CITW): Director on the Board in South Africa

2009-2019: School of Economics, Environmental Policy Research Unit (EPRU), University of Cape Town: Research Fellow