The former President of Botswana and Chair of the EPI Leadership Council, Ian Khama, welcomed John into the EPI family. He said “John has deep knowledge of conservation, environment and sustainable development gained across multiple continents, in the private sector, government, international organisations, the United Nations, and not-for-profit organizations. He brings an incredible depth of experience to our organisation at this critical time for nature conservation. We look forward to working with John in finding creative and enduring solutions that can benefit both people and wildlife”.
John Scanlon said “‘I’m thrilled to be joining the EPI, which is an essential forum for African countries to work together on elephant conservation.The social and economic fallout from the COVID-19 pandemic is massive, with wildlife tourism and the people who rely upon it being hit hard. But we must continue to invest in conservation, not only for its own sake, but to help avert the next pandemic, mitigate climate change and rebuild the livelihoods of rural communities”.
John will continue to serve as Special Envoy for African Parks, which is a founding partner of the EPI.
John Scanlon at Reteti Elephant Sanctuary, Kenya, an EPI partner country, with EPI Foundation Board member Ian Craig in 2017
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John E. Scanlon AO served as Secretary-General of CITES (Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora) from 2010-2018, during which time he led the establishment of the International Consortium on Combating Wildlife Crime (ICCWC). John has also served in senior positions with IUCN in Germany, UNEP in Kenya and with government and the private sector in Australia, including as Chief Executive of the Department of Environment, Heritage and Aboriginal Affairs (South Australia) and Commissioner on the Murray Darling Basin Commission. In 2019 John was made an Officer of the Order of Australia (AO) for distinguished service to wildlife and flora conservation and protection through roles with international organisations.