Robin Maritz, PhD - Conservation Alpha

Miriam is a Financial Accountant at Conservation Alpha, where she leads the organisation’s financial operations and compliance functions for its Kenyan entity, ensuring robust financial stewardship and operational integrity.

She brings over a decade of experience in accounting and financial management across mission-driven organisations, with expertise in full-cycle financial accounting, payroll administration, statutory and regulatory compliance, financial reporting, and audit coordination. Her experience has strengthened her ability to design and maintain financial systems and controls that promote accuracy, transparency, and accountability.

At Conservation Alpha, Miriam oversees month-end reporting, manages statutory obligations, and maintains scalable financial processes across the organisation’s Kenya operations, supporting informed decision-making and long-term organisational sustainability.

She holds an MBA in Finance from the University of Nairobi and a Bachelor of Commerce (Finance).

Kelsey is a Conservation Finance Officer at Conservation Alpha, where she supports the development of sustainable finance solutions that connect robust financial design with measurable conservation outcomes.

Kelsey brings experience from the renewable energy sector, having worked in project finance with exposure to South Africa’s Renewable Energy Independent Power Producer Procurement Programme (REIPPPP). This background strengthened her skills in financial analysis, risk assessment, business case development and working across complex multi-party environments. She also has first-hand experience in high-end ecotourism within the Sabi Sand Nature Reserve, where she worked as a field guide, providing her with practical exposure to conservation operations and on-the-ground stakeholder dynamics.

At Conservation Alpha, Kelsey applies this blended experience to support the assessment and structuring of sustainable finance solutions that align conservation goals with investable financial frameworks. She is motivated by the role that well-designed finance can play in strengthening conservation performance and long-term ecological outcomes.

Nicholas Coertze is a Data & GIS Technician at Conservation Alpha who combines technical expertise in geospatial analytics with a passion for environmental sustainability. He holds a BSc in Conservation Ecology and Entomology from the University of Stellenbosch and an MSc in Geographic Information Systems from the University of Aberdeen, his core focus being mapping invasive alien trees. This was completed with commendation, while working full-time as a research assistant.

Nicholas brings experience across a variety of fields and has developed expertise in handling diverse datasets, collaborating and providing insights with interdisciplinary teams. He has contributed towards NASA’s BioSCape campaign by collecting and curating extensive training data for machine-learning classification models. These models were used to map invasive alien tree species using satellite imagery across the Cape Floristic Region. This map provides a decision-support tool for land managers and conservation practitioners. He has experience conducting advanced spatial analysis and has contributed to visualising complex data effectively.

Working at the intersection of ecology and geospatial technology, Nicholas supports evidence-based conservation efforts and sustainable land management through data-driven solutions. His ability to communicate important insights and build user-friendly tools positions him to contribute meaningfully to outcomes-based conservation programmes at Conservation Alpha.

Claire is an experienced operations professional with a strong ability to bring structure and clarity to complex environments. With a background in Operations Management and Project Management, she has worked across industries including Hospitality and Financial Services, and has gained skills in impact measurement, financial and risk management.

She has a comprehensive understanding of how people and teams function and is comfortable working with a wide range of stakeholders. Claire is able to adapt to changing business needs while building positive working relationships. Her approach is practical and solutions-focused.

Having worked in four African countries, she’s developed a strong appreciation for working with people from different backgrounds and cultures, and values collaboration in achieving shared goals.

Claire is passionate about wildlife conservation and animal welfare, and in her spare time she can be found volunteering with several organisations.

David brings over two decades of experience in wildlife conservation across Africa and the Middle East, with a focus on carnivore ecology, rewilding initiatives, and human-wildlife conflict mitigation. He holds a Ph.D. in Conservation Ecology from the University of KwaZulu-Natal, where his research focused on niche partitioning in African tropical forest carnivore communities, with a focus on the little-known African golden cat. David’s career has taken him from the deserts of Botswana and Saudi Arabia to the tropical forests of Uganda, where his work has aimed to understand and protect some of the world’s most elusive and endangered carnivores.

David brings expertise in strategic conservation planning, community engagement, and capacity building. He has a proven track record in conservation leadership, having previously managed carnivore conservation programs across Southern Africa, reintroducing apex predators into ecosystems and developing conflict resolution strategies between wildlife and local communities.

He is passionate about amplifying conservation impact through collaboration, fostering new talent, and inspiring care for wildlife through his photography.

Dolapo has worked in the design and implementation of donor funded projects and programmes. Dolapo has supported the implementation of two World Bank financed projects to mitigate environmental degradation and reduce disaster risk, executing impact assessment studies, stakeholder engagements and developing strategies for environmental and social risk mitigation. He has also supported the implementation of finance solutions for biodiversity with UNDP’s Biodiversity Finance Initiative.

He holds an MSc in Biodiversity, Wildlife and Ecosystem Health from the University of Edinburgh, where his research focused on the improvement of Impact assessment practice across Sub-Saharan Africa.

At Conservation Alpha, Dolapo supports the Strategy and the Nature Finance teams. Dolapo’s experience aligns with tasks for the development of theories of change for protected area management. He also supports the development of innovative financing mechanisms for mobilising and catalysing finance for biodiversity.

Jurene is a Data Scientist at Conservation Alpha, where she leverages her expertise to advance data-driven conservation initiatives. She holds a PhD in Ecology and Evolution, specialising in desert flora from the University of Stellenbosch, and she was awarded the prestigious Newton Fellowship from the Royal Society of London, providing a strong scientific foundation for her role.

Jurene worked previously in the corporate sector, where she applied data science techniques to build predictive models and extract actionable insights. Her proficiency in statistical modelling, machine learning, remote sensing, and data visualisation enables her to communicate complex findings effectively to both technical and non-technical audiences.

At Conservation Alpha, Jurene conducts rigorous analyses to evaluate historical trends, develop models for measuring impact, and forecast future trends. Her work is essential for ensuring robust science underpins nature financing products and outcomes-based conservation programmes. Jurene’s unique combination of ecological expertise and data science significantly enhances Conservation Alpha’s ability to develop and support informed conservation strategies through precise and reliable data analysis.

Melissa joined Conservation Alpha in 2023 and supports the strategic development of impactful conservation and nature finance products. She has worked in the conservation NGO and academic sectors since 2015, leading and overseeing projects in threatened species management, protected area expansion and the roll-out of Other Effective area-based Conservation Measures (OECMs). Her research interests have focused on the interactions and conservation of threatened birds and their habitats with a particular focus on the Endangered Secretarybird, as well as the phenological dynamics of savannas.

Melissa is a visiting researcher in the School of Animal, Plant & Environmental Sciences at the University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg and has taught and supervised over 10 postgraduate students within the ecological science sector.

Melissa’s range of analytical, solution structuring, project management, strategic design, presentation skills, and experiences gained in academia and conservation provide a dynamic mix of strengths which further Conservation Alpha’s mission to create strategic, innovative, measurable impact that drives enhanced performance and catalyses investment in biodiversity conservation.

Melissa is driven by a passion to promote well-designed, sustainably financed, integrated conservation landscapes managed by capable implementers which support the survival of species and maintain the health and functionality of ecosystems.

Andrew has spent the past 20 years working to advance conservation in Africa. He has extensive experience in both private and public PA management, having worked as CEO of Welgevonden and Sabi Sands Nature Reserves before joining African Parks where he worked firstly as Operations Director overseeing park management in Malawi, Zambia and Rwanda and later as Conservation Director to drive the growth and development of African Parks. Andrew joined Conservation International in 2018 as Senior Director of Conservation for Africa.

David has worked in conservation since 2011, having worked in the academic, NGO and now private sector. His early career focused on the research, management and conservation of large, endangered carnivores, obtaining his PhD in wild dog behavioural ecology. David coordinated the Wild Dog Advisory Group of South Africa (WAG-SA) for several years, and remains an active member, serving as chair of the Research sub-Committee.

Over the last seven years, David has specialised in the development of strategic, robust and impactful conservation projects across southern and eastern Africa, focusing on developing strategies for conservation organisations, protected areas and species. This work has included working with a diverse array of clients and partners to develop best-in-class strategies to ensure large-scale impact. David marries extensive, practical implementation with skills in conservation strategy development, design of robust systems for measurement of conservation impact, design and implementation of M&E frameworks, and facilitation of multi-stakeholder workshops.

David is adept at developing protected area management plans, including reviewing data, literature and historic management plans to develop state-of-the-art plans with implementable actions and associated long-term budgets. In addition, David is experienced in management effectiveness assessments using the IUCN Green List and iMET. David has a passion for strategic conservation planning to help ensure the long-term survival of species, habitats and ecosystems.

Robin has been with Conservation Alpha since 2022, where she applies her expertise across the entire portfolio of work. Her skills in data science, study design, validation, analytics, and engineering help clients convert raw data into actionable insights. Her technical guidance on the development and management of impact monitoring systems and data management pipelines enhances Conservation Alpha’s ability to deliver high-impact, scientifically grounded, and data-driven solutions.

Robin holds a PhD in Genetics from Cornell University, which provides her with a strong academic foundation. She relocated to South Africa in 2016 and has been actively involved in ecological research since then. As an affiliate research fellow at the University of the Western Cape, Robin continues to conduct research and mentor students within the biodiversity conservation sector.

At Conservation Alpha, Robin leads the development and maintenance of monitoring and evaluation systems, overseeing the data science team to ensure rigorous sourcing, management, and analysis of data. Her work is critical for the transparent calculation and verification of impact, particularly for initiatives like the Wildlife Conservation Bond and other outcomes-based financing initiatives.

Robin’s passion for bridging scientific research with practical conservation applications drives her to develop data-driven approaches and systems that support the transparent tracking of conservation outcomes and impacts, benefiting both conservation and funding agencies.

Chris Barichievy has provided scientific advice to conservation management agencies in countries across Africa and the Middle East over the past decade. Chris is a dedicated conservation scientist who has worked for state and the NGO sector.

Chris has worked internationally, providing research support and management advice to address real conservation problems.

Chris’s competencies include the development of conservation management strategies, the design and development of novel strategies and methods to measure impact, the design and analysis of biological and law enforcement monitoring strategies, and investigations of effectiveness.

Chris brings technical expertise and his primary role in Conservation Alpha is ensuring that the outcomes frameworks, monitoring and evaluation systems are rigorous, auditable and verifiable to ensure confidence in the outcomes.

Chris Gordon has worked in conservation in both Africa and Asia over the last 20 years. He has managed successful conservation projects in Africa, including five years as the Kenya Country Director for the Zoological Society of London.

He was instrumental in the design and issuance of the Wildlife Conservation Bond and has been a technical adviser to the Government of Uganda and TotalEnergies in the design of a Collaborative Management Partnership for the Murchison Falls Protected Area. Over the last decade, Chris has spent time focused on innovative financing for biodiversity, designing funds and facilities, biodiversity offsets and credits, and conservation investments. He understands the practicalities required for conservation success on the ground, and the importance of stakeholder engagement and relationships for achieving this, often set against difficult political contexts.

His competencies include project management, protected area management, species conservation, innovative financing, collaborative management partnerships, governance, law enforcement, human-wildlife conflict, disease management, project development, and fundraising

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