OUR TRUSTEES
David Matthias QC (Chairperson)
David Matthias QC joined the board of trustees in 2015. He is a barrister practising from Francis Taylor Building, Inner Temple, London EC4, and is a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators specialising in environmental, public and commercial law. David is committed to conservation and the preservation of wildlife, and is delighted to be able to contribute his legal and commercial expertise as a trustee of Elephants for Africa. He lives with his wife Sarah, their four children and three dogs in North London.
Brian Courtenay
Brian joined the board of trustees in 2010. Past chairman of Ivory Group/Satib Insurance Brokers, he is now retired and has more time to dedicate to his passion of conserving the wildlife heritage of Africa. He is on the board of a number of South African and international NGO’s involved with the environment and conservation.
His commitment to wildlife was rewarded with the 2004 AATA (USA) International Award “Recognition for Outstanding Contribution to the Welfare of Animals in International Commence” and he holds a diploma in basic pathology of Wildlife from the Faculty of Veterinary Science, University of Pretoria, South Africa. Brian is married with two adult sons and three grandchildren.
His commitment to wildlife was rewarded with the 2004 AATA (USA) International Award “Recognition for Outstanding Contribution to the Welfare of Animals in International Commence” and he holds a diploma in basic pathology of Wildlife from the Faculty of Veterinary Science, University of Pretoria, South Africa. Brian is married with two adult sons and three grandchildren.
Dr Michelle Henley
Michelle joined the board of trustees in 2019 and brings a wealth of experience in elephant biology as the Co-founder, CEO and Principal Researcher of Elephants Alive in South Africa, as well as a member of the ICUN African Elephant Specialist Group and The Elephant Specialist Advisory Group. Her work focuses on male elephant ecology in the mixed landscape of the Kruger National Park and the neighbouring Private Game Reserves and has recently expanded into Mozambique.
Her work has been recognized nationally and internationally by various awards including; South Africa award for an individual from the Wildlife and Environmental Society of South Africa. Runner up to the Mail and Guardian, Greening the Future Awards for both the Species and Biodiversity Stewardship categories, finalist in the Tusk Conservationist Leadership Awards. Recently Michelle received the Kudu Awards of Sanparks for the category 'Women in Conservation'.
John Graham
John joined the board of Trustees in 2011 and is the Chair of the Board for its current term. He has 37 years’ international investment experience with major financial institutions. John is the CEO of Liminal Partners, a financial consulting firm in the U.K. He has a Master's Degree in International Affairs from Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies. His time as a Peace Corps Volunteer in The Congo gave him a passion for Education and Africa. He is married with three children and lives in London.