Our

Advisory Group

Fred Nelson​

Executive Director, Maliasili
Fred has been working for 20 years in African conservation to develop effective strategies and lasting solutions, support innovative local organizations, and build diverse partnerships. He gravitates towards creating new organizations and ventures as a self-identifying ‘conservation entrepreneur’, which led him to found Maliasili in 2010 to fill a key gap in African conservation: to champion leading local organizations and help them build the organizations and networks they need to deliver on their mission and achieve their goals.

Chanda Mwale

Operations Manager, Wildlife Producers Association of Zambia
Chanda is a geographer and environmental scientist by training with both private sector and civil society experience in conservation. At present, she is the Operations Manager at Wildlife Producers Association of Zambia (WPAZ) where she oversees the management of WPAZ's first full time Secretariat. Leading both technical and advocacy work while ensuring increased awareness of the opportunities that lie in the game ranching industry. She is passionate about African conservation, and the role of innovative partnerships in delivering value to the business of conservation.

Hassan Sachedina​

Founder, BioCarbon Partners
Born and raised in Kenya, Hassan is a career conservationist with 20 years plus experience. Hassan has lived and worked in Tanzania’s Selous and Tarangire ecosystems, Kenya’s Laikipia and Tsavo ecosystems, and now lives in Zambia’s Luangwa Valley. Hassan’s early career focused on rhino conservation in Kenya, Tanzania and Namibia. Prior to founding BCP, he was Vice President of Wildlife Works, and Partner in Conservation Capital, which catalyzed $210 million of conservation business investments globally. Hassan’s PhD thesis from the University of Oxford was awarded the Audrey Richards Prize for the best Africanist thesis written over two years from any UK university. He also holds an MSc degree from Oxford University, and a BA from Middlebury College. He has undergone short leadership/management training through Oxford University’s Said Business School, the US Army Reserve Officer Training Corps, and Harvard Business School, from which Hassan obtained a Certificate in Management Excellence.

Christina Ender​

Regional Climate Change Director, Africa, Conservation International
Christina Ender is based in Nairobi, Kenya. In her role as the Regional Climate Change Director for the Africa Field Division, she is in charge of coordinating and driving CI’s climate change activities across the African continent. Christina has more than 9 years’ experience in the climate change space, with a focus on Natural Climate Solutions, specifically REDD+. Her expertise spans from actual project design and implementation, such as being heavily involved in the establishment of the Chyulu Hills REDD+ project, to national policy engagement as well as international UNFCCC climate negotiations. With her background in the carbon world she has worked at the interphase of climate finance, climate policy and delivery of Emissions Reductions and Removals. Christina holds a Master in Biodiversity, Conservation and Management from the University of Oxford.

Adrian Dellecker

Head of Strategy and Development, Luc Hoffmann Institute
Adrian is a political scientist, environmental advocacy expert and innovator. First Head of Programme, then Head of Strategy and Development at the Luc Hoffmann Institute, Adrian has driven and managed a large number of innovative projects and ventures for environmental conservation. He is passionate about helping conservation generate new revenue streams and new audiences to help reverse current trends, and build a future for his and all the world’s children to thrive on a healthy planet. Before joining the Institute he was Head of Policy and Advocacy in WWF International’s Global and Regional Policy Unit from 2008 to 2016.

Wassa Cissè

Investment Analyst, Bestseller Foundation and SOWC Alumnus
Passionate about environment, humanity, numbers, and innovation, Wassa believes that with the right methods of communication, we can create any impact.

Frederick K. Swaniker

Founder/CEO, African Leadership Group
Fred Swaniker is on a mission to bring better leadership to Africa and the world. He leads the African Leadership Group - an ecosystem of organizations that are catalyzing a new era of ethical, entrepreneurial African leaders. Over the past 15 years, he has founded and led the pre-university African Leadership Academy, the African Leadership University, the African Leadership Network and The Room — a community of global leaders committed to unlocking opportunities for undiscovered talent, starting in Africa. Collectively, these endeavors aim to transform Africa by developing 3 million African leaders by 2035. Fred previously worked as a McKinsey consultant before earning an MBA from Stanford and becoming an entrepreneur. He is an Echoing Green Fellow; Aspen Institute Fellow; and most recently, was recognized as one of TIME Magazine’s most influential people of 2019. He holds honorary doctorate degrees from Macalester College, Middlebury College and Nelson Mandela University

Richard Vigne

Executive Director, SOWC
Richard Vigne is the first Executive Director of the School of Wildlife Conservation. Prior to this he was the CEO of Ol Pejeta Conservancy, the largest black rhino sanctuary in East Africa and one of the most successful enterprises in Africa. He was born and brought up in Kenya. He has more than 20 years of experience in conservation and, prior to coming to Ol Pejeta, he spent 6 years operating a safari company throughout Uganda and eastern Zaire (now the Democratic Republic of the Congo). Richard has completed a number of conservation and land use related consultancies for various organizations including Conservation Capital and the African Wildlife Foundation. He holds a degree in Zoology and a Masters Degree in Agricultural Development.

About SOWC

The ALU School of Wildlife Conservation is the first of its kind on the continent, dedicated to growing the next generation of world class conservation leaders in Africa.

The continent needs home grown African leaders to spearhead new and innovative approaches in the business of conservation.

Twitter Facebook-f Youtube Instagram Linkedin

Pages

Stay in the Know

Sign up to our newsletter

Here

Contact

ALU School of Wildlife Conservation

Bumbogo, Kigali Innovation City, Next to Azam, Kigali, Rwanda
Phone: +250 784 650 219

sowc@alueducation.com