Introducing John Watkin As SCF New CEO

SCF is pleased to announce the appointment of John Watkin as new CEO, replacing John Newby who will continue to serve as Senior Advisor to the organization. It is anticipated that John Watkin will officially begin work on August 1, providing sufficient time to complete an orderly handover. 

John Watkin is a highly experienced conservationist who has been working in the field for more than 25 years, implementing diverse field projects in various countries of Central and East Africa. He has a track record of strong leadership on a range of issues central to SCF’s activities, such as protected area management, the conservation of endangered species, ecological monitoring, but also ecotourism and the role of local communities in conservation.

His passion for conservation stemmed from being born and raised in Kasama, Zambia for nine years before moving to New Hebrides (now Vanuatu) in the South Pacific, where he learned French. John completed his tertiary education in U.K. obtaining a B.Sc. in Applied Biology at Nottingham Trent University before graduating with a Master’s in Advanced Ecology from the University of Durham. The combination of his experience, drive and culture makes him an ideal fit for SCF’s next stages of growth. For more details on John Watkin’s background click here . 

The former CEO and iconic founder of SCF, John Newby, was one of the first to express deep concerns on the decline of Sahelo-Saharan species. He is responsible for creating and growing the organization to where it sits today, as a leader on biodiversity conservation in this area of the world. SCF cannot thank him enough for his leadership and significant contributions to the science of conservation.

After a strategic planning process over the last year, and a comprehensive search to ensure a smooth leadership transition, SCF is confidently heading into a new era full of promise for its development, action, and impact.

The SCF Board and entire team sincerely thanks all its supporters, and hopes that one and all will be with SCF through this exciting new stage of its development.