SCT Team

Save China's Tigers Team does not only consist of professionally paid members, but also many volunteers and supporters who provide their services probono. We are grateful to all of those who give us their time generously, which enable us to invest more fund into the field projects. Below is a list of our key team members.

Zhiming Xu
Director
Zhiming XU, 46, a partner of China Broadband Capital, LL.P. Dr. Xu graduated in 1983 from Peking University with a B.S. in Physics, in 1986 from the Graduate School of Chinese Academy of Social Sciences with a M.A. in Economics, and in 1993 from University of Manchester in the United Kingdom with a Ph.D. in Economics. Dr. Xu started his professional career with China International Trust & Investment Corp as an economist between 1986 and 1989, and served as an investment banker in Hong Kong between 1993 and 1999 at Nomura International, NatWest Market and finally at BankBoston. From 1999 to 2001, Dr. Xu was an Executive Director at China Resources Enterprises, Limited, an Executive Director at China Resources Beijing Land, Limited, and Managing Director and Chief Operating Officer at China Resources Logic Limited. From 2002 and 2005, Dr. Xu was a Senior Advisor at Tom Group Limited and an Executive Director and Chief Operating Officer at Tom Online Limited.

Dickson Yewn
Director
Dickson is an accomplished jeweller and jewelry designer based in Hong Kong and has a passion for wildlife and the cats. He has been supporting SCT through both actions and fundraising.

Claudine Kolle
Advisor
Ex-General Manager of SCT, Claudine is the author of Tang the Tiger Cub www.paddyfield.com, and has donated, along with the book's illustrator, all royalties to SCT. As an independent journalist Claudine wrote articles on the South China tiger's plight, which have appeared in Asian Geographic and the South China Morning Post. Claudine has been educating Hong Kong's school children about SCT's work. Claudine's love of tigers first surfaced in a very vivid dream about tigers playing in the forest, which left her feeling a deep connection with the animal. Upon having her second child, Claudine decided to continue her work on a voluntary basis.

Mike Pitcher
Advisor
"Mike Pitcher retired from the position of Vice Chairman, Asia Pacific, with Barclays Bank in 1999; a role which followed 7 years as C.O.O of Barclays, UK Banking Services. A Hong Kong resident, he has several non-executive directorships in Asia and Europe and a number of 'angel' investments covering a range of business sectors. His hobbies include marathon running and adventure activities ".

Ling Qiao
Advisor
Educated in China, US and UK, Qiao Ling left her position as an international liaison officer for the National Library, the Ministry of Culture in early 90s, and has since been working as a consultant for various international companies with interests of developing business in China. An UK resident, she travels between UK, China, and Hong Kong frequently, and holds several directorships of projects covering a range of business sectors including cultural and conservation areas."

Gary Verstick
General Manager
A graphic designer and communications specialist, experienced in film, television, publications and corporate identity. "I have been an environmentalist all my life and volunteered for groups like Greenpeace, The Sea Shepherd Society, Ecocity and the David Suzuki Foundation (graphic design and creative consultation). I am delighted to help Li Quan's amazing efforts to save the tigers.

Zhao Zhongxiang
Advisor

Mr. Zhao has been the anchor for, Man & Nature, a TV program dedicated to the environment for many years. He is also the Senior Teacher at the Chinese Central Television. He has been the anchor for many very important TV programs and announcements in China.

Dr Lu Houji
Advisor

Lu Houji is a retired Professor of Ecology at the East China Normal University and former Director of the International Center for Conservation Biology. His interests in research are wildlife conservation biology, management of endangered species, and the behavioural ecology of mammals. He had surveyed cat species, especially the large cats in China, and became involved in trying to protect the Chinese tigers. During the past ten years, Dr. Lu conducted training courses on wildlife conservation and management in China for nature reserve staffs, both internationally and nationally. He is author of numerous research papers as well as several books on mammals in China. Dr. Lu is also a member of the IUCN/SSC Cat Specialist Group and the IUCN/SSC Conservation Breeding Specialist Group.

Lin Zhang
Volunteer

Lin was China Co-ordinator for SCT in Beijing. Upon joining Olgivy and Mather to expand her horizons, Lin continues to act as volunteer for SCT.

Wang Liang
Volunteer Co-ordinator South China

Lin Huamiao
Assistant

Li Quan
Founding Director
Founder of Save China's Tigers, Ms. Quan, a native of Beijing, China, now devotes herself full time to the voluntary work of running the charity. Educated at Beijing University (BA), China and the Wharton School of Business / Lauder Institute (MBA/MA), USA, Ms Quan then pursued a career in trademark licensing in the fashion business. She was head of worldwide licensing business at Gucci.

Stuart Bray
Founding Director
Stuart has had many years of successful experience in investment banking. He is passionate about nature and has been supporting Save China's Tigers and his cause with great determination.

David K Thomas
Director
David has always been a lover of cats, on top of being an investment banker. When asked of his help for China's big cats, it just suits him perfectly.

Sarah Emery
Volunteer
Sarah Emery joined Save China's Tigers after 7 years of experience with wildlife conservation. An ex-police officer, Sarah worked with the Born Free Foundation on the Dudhwa Project, concerned with raising funds for the Dudhwa National Park, India, home of tiger conservationist Billy Arjan Singh, and as a big cat keeper at the Born Free's Big Cat Sanctuary in Kent. She has also worked with the Ridgeway Trust for Endangered Cats. Her love for the tigers was rewarded when she saw her first wild tiger from the back of an elephant in Dudhwa National Park, India 1999.

Hon. Robert Hanson
After broad experiences with N M Rothschild, BICE Chileconsult and Hanson PLC, Robert Hanson founded Hanson Capital Limited in February 1998. The company was set up as an UK-based vehicle for the shareholders and directors to apply their experience and skills gained over many years in bringing together investors and users of capital. It acts in a corporate finance advisory capacity as well as raises funds for international mergers and acquisitions. During his previous work in Hong Kong, China, Robert learned to appreciate Chinese art and become fascinated by Chinese culture.

Gerry Lewis
Gerry Lewis is an international marketing consultant for Steven Spielberg, with whom he has been working for more than 30 years. During his career, Lewis has headed the international marketing operations for Cinema International Corporation, the distributor of Universal and Paramount films in the international markets, and for United International Pictures, who handled the worldwide distribution and marketing of films for those two companies, plus United Artists and MGM. Recently, he was co-head of international distribution and marketing for DreamWorks, the new studio founded by Steven Spielberg with Jeffrey Katzenberg and David Geffen. Lewis currently heads his own international consultancy.

Susan Long
Charity Assistant

Heng Siang Wei
Volunteer
Born in Singapore in 1992, he found out about the Save China's Tiger project in 2004 on the net and has been a fan of it since. He has followed all the updates of the Save China's Tiger webpage since then. He has been reading up about conservation and wildlife since young and understands the plight of the Chinese Tiger. He aspires to be a tiger conservationist when he grow up after being inspired by the efforts put in by the project for conservation.

Hugh Webster
President
Hugh Webster is a partner with the law firm of Webster, Chamberlain & Bean in Washington, D.C. He represents exclusively nonprofit organizations, including charities, professional organizations, technical and scientific societies, and trade associations. Hugh is author of the semiannual updates to the Law of Associations, published by Matthew Bender, and is a contributing editor to the Nonprofit Legal and Tax Letter, the leading national newsletter on nonprofit legal developments. He also authored, Fiduciary Duties of Nonprofit Officers and Directors, to be published this year by the Bureau of National Affairs. He works with nonprofits in all relevant areas, including tax-exemption, fundraising, postal regulations, governance, contracts, and intellectual property. Hugh received his degree from Duke Law School and his undergraduate degree from Middlebury College. He is a member of the District of Columbia and Maryland Bars, and is a member of the Legal Section Council of the American Society of Association Executives.

Dr Gary M Koehler
Director
Dr. Gary Koehler is a Wildlife Research Scientist with Washington Dept. Fish & Wildlife, was Senior Lecturer at Moi University, Kenya, and has worked for the Hornocker Wildlife Institute, University of Idaho. In 1990/91 with WWF/Hornocker Institute he conducted the first significant Survey of South China Tiger and as a result China implemented the South China Tiger Action Plan. He is a member of IUCN Cat Specialist Group, The Wildlife Society, Society for Conservation Biology, Phi Sigma Honor Society and has authored and co-authored over twenty reports and publications.

Quan Li
Director
Founder of Save China's Tigers, Ms. Quan, a native of Beijing, China, now devotes herself full time to the voluntary work of running the charity. Educated at Beijing University (BA), China and the Wharton School of Business / Lauder Institute (MBA/MA), USA, Ms Quan then pursued a career in trademark licensing in the fashion business. She was head of worldwide licensing business at Gucci. She is also a board member of the Chongwen District Foreign Friendship Association of Beijing City.

Becky McCane
Coordinator
Becky obtained her B.S. in Biology and Master of Science in Biology from Morehead State University (MSU). A secondary school teacher of Biological Science for eleven years, Becky also taught Biology, Ecology, and Health courses at the college level during that time on a part-time basis. For the past four years she has been teaching Ecology, Biology, and Anatomy/Physiology exclusively on the college level. She sponsored an award-winning Ecology club and ivolved students in conservation and helping to better the environment through various community activities. Becky has been actively working to help wildlife and the environment for the past 10 years, and supports a number of organizations involved in conservation.

Steven Smith
Director
Steve is Senior Managing Director of Ritchie Capital Management. He is responsible for the global venture and private equity business. Ritchie operates in several sectors including media/technology, energy and biotech. The venture team is headquartered in New York and has offices in Menlo Park , London and Hong Kong. In addition to his role with Ritchie Capital, Steve is active in sustainable development through his roles with TERI-NA, the Delhi Sustainable Development Summit, the Illinois Institute of Technology School of Design and Save China`s Tigers.
Prior to Ritchie Capital, Steve served in several senior executive roles at GE Capital over the course of thirteen years. Most recently Steve was Senior Managing Director at GE Equity with responsibility for Technology and Communications and overall GE Equity strategy responsible for investment in over 100 companies and 20 funds. Prior to GE Equity Steve served as Managing Director Ventures for GE Capital. In this role he was responsible for both internal and external venture activity driving innovation across GE and GE Capital.
Prior to GE steve worked at Booz Allen and was a member of the Financial Industries practice in New York, Dallas, San Francisco and Singapore..

Petri Viljoen
Advisor
Petri has more than 28 years of extensive wildlife research experience, including research on large carnivores and wildlife population trend studies. Professional experience includes wildlife capture, problem animal control, aerial survey methodology and environmental assessments. Worked as a professional ecologist for a number of agencies, including a provincial government conservation department and South African National Parks. Conducted a privately funded research project on lion ecology in Botswana's Chobe National Park. He also worked on contract for the Frankfurt Zoological Society/European Union as Chief Technical Advisor in Tanzania. Have been working as a private environmental and wildlife consultant since 2001 on a wide range of projects, including ecological and environmental projects both in South Africa, Zambia and Tanzania. Member and Vice-Chairman (Southern Africa) of the IUCN Antelope Specialist Group. Member of the African Lion Working Group as well as serving on some sub-committees of this group. Author of two book chapters on aspects of wildlife management, several scientific papers and popular wildlife articles. Numerous scientific conference and symposia presentations. Petri ran Save China's Tigers operation in the capacity of Executive Director until March 2007 and remains an advisor to SCT after he has moved on to other challenges.

Dr. Hector Magome
Advisor
Dr. Hector Magome, is Executive Director of Conservation in South Africa National Parks (SANParks), and is in charge of all aspects of biodiversity conservation science including policy research, policy writing and monitoring implement of policy guidelines. Hector has been involved in biodiversity conservation for 21 years. Like many conservationists, his earlier education had focused on theoretical and empirical ecology, and had involved an MSc at the University of Witwatersrand on sable antelope in South Africa, with a second MSc on wildlife biology at Colorado State University. He gained his early real-life conservation experiences with Bop Parks, where a new system of protected areas was being set up in the then black homeland of South Africa, to provide both conservation and social benefits. Later, he was headhunted by the National Parks Board. Hector's task was to help South African Parks change into an organization that incorporated the aspirations of the majority of South Africans. Hector undertook his PhD on this process of transformation, and his hypothesis was that if people owned a stake in conservation, their attitudes would become supportive. His PhD work was awarded as the best research for his study year, earning him the Fiona Alexander Prize of the Durrell Institute of Conservation and Ecology, University of Kent, UK.

Gus Van Dyke
Rewilding Strategist
Gus was Head of Carnivore Management at Pilansburg Reserve and was key in the reintroduction of various wild carnivoores: lions, wild dogs and cheetahs. He was acknowledged as leader of carninore re-introduction, in particular, lion reintroduction. Gus was responsible for drafting the SCT tiger rewilding strategy. He is now Reserve Manager for Twalu.

Louis van der Merwe
Advisor
Louis is an international consultant and teacher in Scenario based Strategy, and Leadership Development. He is the founder of CIL(est. 1989)www.cil.net ,His work in South Africa has been recognised by the UK House of Lords and his Scenario work by Shell International. Past work and clients include a.o. Shell, Eskom (SA), University of Natal, SABMiller, The Open University, United Nations(UNAIDS), Amnesty International and the World Wildlife Fund.

Don McRobert
Advisor
Don is a Patent Attorney. He qualified at the University of Cape Town and then through Grey's Inn in London became a Barrister.He is a former President of the Chamber of Commerce, Pretoria and served on the International Chamber of Commerce, Paris.He is a past Chairman of the National Zoo (Pretoria). He successfully sued the former Minister for environmental affairs for the rape of the Transkei Coast by illegal developers. He is a former Chairman of the National Symphony Orchestra; and is currently Chairman of the South African National Ballet Theatre.

Eddie Van Ecke
Advisor
Eddie is the owner of Lory Park Zoo, which he established starting with his passion for birds. The Sanctuary has since grown with Eddie’s hard work and he has been given invaluable input to SCT’s Rewilding and Breeding Project.

Gerhard Damm
Advisor
Gerhard Damm is the publisher and editor of the electronic newsletter African Indaba (www.africanindaba.co.za). Gerhard is a board member of the US based organization Conservation Force (www.conservationforce.org).. He has a great passion for conservation and the sustainable use of wild natural resources. After travelling the world and living in Asia, South America, and Southern Europe, Gerhard, a native German, settled down in South Africa in 1994.

Heinrich Funck
Reserve Manager, Laohu Valley Reserve
Heinrich Funck, 47, was raised on a farm outside Brandfort in South Africa's Free State Province. In 1978 Heinrich moved with his family to Philippolis. He worked in a few different businesses throughout his careers. His love for nature and the outdoors eventually lead him to pursue the occupation of problem animal control in farming areas. Heinrich trained about 3000 farmers over a period of 14 years to manage the difficulties of human and wildlife conflict issues. He has been involved with Laohu Valley Reserve's Tiger conservation program since 2006 on an ad hoc basis.

Dr Jeremy Anderson
Consultant, Chinese Tiger Pilot Reserve
Jeremy Anderson has been professionally involved in wildlife conservation for more than 30 years. He worked for several years with the re-introduced lion population in Umfolozi and Hluhluwe Reserves on resolving the issue of maintaining a viable population with a minimal level of human/lion conflict. He then became the first director of Pilanesberg National Park and was responsible for coordinating of the rehabilitation and stocking of the area. He subsequently became director of the then Kangwane Parks Corporation and headed the development of the organization and the establishment of three new reserves and more re-stocking programmes including lions. Since 1994 he has consulted in wildlife conservation in Africa, Asia and the Middle East. This work has focused largely on the development or rehabilitation of protected areas. He is a member of the IUCN Antelope Specialist group and the Africa Lion Working Group and is a partner in the firm International Conservation Services.

Richard Davis
Consultant, Chinese Tiger Pilot Reserve
Richard Davies has worked in conservation since 1984, initially in the field where valuable hands-on experience was gained. He is now working at making conservation projects more economically and financially viable, while still conserving critical ecosystems and species.

Marc Stalmans
Consultant, Chinese Tiger Pilot Reserve
Marc Stalmans is an ecologist with 19 years of nature conservation management and development experience in the public, parastatal and private sector. He has been involved in projects in a number of African countries (Angola, Cameroon, Gabon, Mocambique, South Africa, Togo and Zimbabwe) as well as in Dubai (Middle East). He holds a Forestry Engineering degree, a MSc Degree in Botany and a PhD in Animal, Plant and Environmental Sciences. He has published more than 20 popular and scientific articles and has presented a numbers of papers at international symposia. In addition to his field knowledge and experience he is skilled in Geographic Information Systems, analysis and interpretation of remote sensing imagery and in the analysis of multivariate data.

Vivienne McKenzie
The Tiger Supervisor
Vivenne was born in Zimbabwe during the Chinese year of the tiger, and grew up in the Kwazulu Natal midlands. She then moved to Philippolis with her family and spent the first three years of her career after completing school welding burglar guards and security gates for the Philippolis townsfolk. She then joined Telkom SA and was trained as a manual - exchange switchboard operator. When the manual exchange became obsolete in 1997, She moved to Tweespruit and eventually worked my way up to “Manual Exchange Supervisor”
After working for Telkom SA for nine years, she made a career switch and joined a tent- manufacturing company based in Bloemfontein and held an administrative position for five years.
She has now resigned from the company and returned to Philippolis where she joined Laohu Valley Reserve and now have a job to die for. Actually not only a job, but a dream comes true.