Durrell appoints new Chairman

Wednesday 06 August 2014

There’s a new man at the helm of Jersey’s world famous wildlife park.

Durrell has appointed local businessman Phillip Callow as its new chairman who says he’s keen to get more locals engaging with "their" park.

Mr Callow said: “I am delighted to have been appointed as the new Chairman of Durrell at an exciting time for the organisation.  In recent months we have formulated tools that allow us to demonstrate the impact that Durrell has had on saving species from extinction and we will be using this as a springboard to secure funding to continue and expand our work. Durrell is recognised as a leader in conservation training and we are working on joint initiatives to take our training into other areas where we can have an impact.  

"Closer to home, we are looking to engage more with the population of Jersey in respect of what is 'their' park.  We want Islanders to feel a real sense of pride in what we do and the global impact that Durrell has made, and for them to get behind Durrell as one of Jersey's own.”   

Mr Callow, a partner at accountancy firm Moore Stephens replaces Jonathan White who is stepping down after seven years in the post.

He has been a Durrell board member since 2010 and says he’s confident he can use his skills, knowledge and expertise to contribute to Durrell’s future growth and success.

Retiring chairman Jonathan White said: “It has been a great honour to have chaired Durrell for the last seven years. Whilst we have faced many challenges during that time, with perhaps the most notable being the global recession, Durrell remains resilient and focused on meeting its conservation goals.

“During my time, I have worked with three chief executives each of whom was different in experience and style and each of whom has contributed to the work of the Trust. The Board of Trustees and the senior management team are all skilled and devoted people and the staff are a wonderful example to the conservation world. The future remains challenging but those who remain are, in my view, more than capable of meeting those challenges. I wish them every success."

As well as running its Wildlife Park HQ in Jersey, Durrell also operates 40 projects in 12 countries across the world and recently established the Durrell Academy in Mauritius, complementing the Jersey based Academy.