Meet an inspired team

Chandru has been involved in the textile and plastics industries for the last 32 years, 22 of which have been spent as part of the team responsible for setting up and running Africa’s leading polyethylene terephthalate (PET) and high-density polyethylene (HDPE) bottle recycling company, Extrupet, where he holds the position of Joint Managing Director. Chandru’s expertise and leadership have played a pivotal role in expanding Extrupet’s footprint across the African continent, driving sustainable solutions and fostering partnerships with key stakeholders.

Lumka is a community development practitioner with over 10 years of experience, specializing in implementing and managing social development projects and programmes. With strong leadership acumen, Lumka has a successful track record in designing, implementing and overseeing community development projects from inception to completion.

Lumka holds a Post Graduate Diploma in Business Administration from UNISA Graduate School of Business Leadership, and a BA Degree in Community Development from UNISA.

Having worked for various NGOs and local government, she is experienced in overseeing various aspects of non-profit management, including conducting community needs assessments, programme design, fundraising, research, stakeholder management, feasibility studies, SMME support, CBO capacity building, and community engagement.

Nomasonto is a dedicated Executive Assistant with 10 years administrative experience and 7 years supporting C-suite executives in the fast-paced corporate environment. She is a skilled multi-tasker, with a passion for providing efficient and effective administrative support. With great attention to detail and communication skills, Nomasonto thrives on managing complex schedules, coordinating critical meetings, and ensuring seamless operations. She is always willing to learn, and easily adapts to changes. Experience has taught her the value of multi-tasking and identifying what to prioritize when working under pressure to successfully meet expectations.

Peter is an extreme adventurer who has undertaken many challenging journeys: he’s rowed across the Atlantic, twice; travelled to the South Pole with motivational speaker Braam Malherbe; and most recently he pedalled from the Kunene River Mouth on the Angolan border across the Namibian desert to Walvis Bay. He is a motivational speaker, and a passionate conservationist.

Masaki is the Mayor of Tobetsu-cho and a Senior Corporate Advisor for Mitsubishi and the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA). Until recently, he also served as an advisor to four presidents in Africa. He began his patronage of SST in Japan in 2012.

Craig and his brother, Damon, are two of SA’s top documentary filmmakers. They have a strong focus on the natural world, with films such as The Great Dance: A Hunter’s Story and Cosmic Africa. He has recently released Sea Change together with Mr Ross Frylinck.

Professor Swartz was instrumental in developing Nelson Mandela University’s leadership role in marine sciences, education and conservation. He was NMU Vice-Chancellor until 2017. He is an avid outdoorsman, and has a deep interest in conservation, including marine conservation.

Dr Earle is one of the strongest advocates for the oceans in the world and has been a marine biologist since the 1960s. She is the founder of Mission Blue, which aims to establish marine protected areas – called Hope Spots –globally. In 2014, she came to South Africa to launch our own six Hope Spots. She has been a National Geographic explorer-in-residence since 1998 and was also named Time Magazine’s first Hero for the Planet in 1998.

Kristian has more than two decades of strategic and senior management experience in the areas of ocean policy and science, environment, sustainability, and development. In addition to serving as director of the Sustainable Ocean Initiative at WRI, he is head of the Friends of Ocean Action for the World Economic Forum.

Prof Klingsheim is a seasoned educator with tenure as professor in Norway and Poland. He served as the Science & Technology Counsellor with the Royal Norwegian Embassy in South Africa and currently works at the intersection of the strategic research areas “Oceans”, “Sustainability” and “Energy” at NTNU in Norway – always looking for opportunities to expand win-win relationships between South Africa and Norway.

Dr Hardesty leads CSIRO’s Mission to End Plastic Waste. A broadly trained ecologist, her current work focuses on plastic pollution and illegal fishing. She advocates for the role of science in underpinning policy and decision-making, and regularly provides science advice to governments and international panels.

Dr Wilcox has a Master’s Degree and a Ph.D. in Ecology and Conservation Biology. He has worked with NGOs, government, and private enterprise for over 29 years as a professional biologist to develop cost-effective solutions to natural resource management problems.

Wilfred is a passionate conservationist and founded the Dyer Island Conservation Trust in 2006 when he started the African penguin nest project. Wilfred is the owner of award-winning eco-tourism businesses Marine Dynamics Shark Cage Diving and Dyer Island Cruises Whale Watching, in Gansbaai, Western Cape, South Africa.

Dr Daniels is Associate Professor of Economics at the University of Cape Town. He has founded and run companies in the non-profit, manufacturing and consulting sectors and is a member of the Institute of Directors of Southern Africa. Dr Daniels has also served in advisory positions for several South African government projects and has been a short-term consultant for the Asian Development Bank and World Bank.

Prof Ryan graduated from the University of Cape Town, researching the impacts of ingested plastic on seabirds (MSc) and the evolutionary ecology of buntings in the Tristan archipelago (PhD). He was appointed Academic Coordinator of the Master’s Programme in Conservation Biology at the Fitztitute in 1993. He is chair of the WIOMSA Expect Group on Marine Plastics and a member of the UN’s GESAMP working group on marine plastics.

Nitasha holds a Master’s Degree in Environmental Management and has a range of skills including capacity building, environmental quality, compliance and enforcement and project management and resource quality and conservation management. In her current role, she provides specialist support in respect of aquaculture, coastal infrastructure development and small harbour development for the blue economy of the country.

Dr Mann-Lang was the first woman to become Aquarium Director in Africa as the Director of uShaka Sea World. She has worked for the South African Association for Marine Biological Research (SAAMBR) since 1992. After two years as the first female CEO of SAAMBR, she returned to her passion for conservation and education at the Association and leads the Marine Social Science and Social Impact Research Initiatives.