Participants seated in a circle during a LAMP training session

About Us

At MSWC, we believe that effective wildlife conservation requires more than passion. It calls for strong leadership, sound financial management, organizational skills, and the ability to navigate complex challenges at the grassroots level. That’s where we come in.

The program

The Leadership and Management Program (LAMP) that we support is designed to equip community-based conservation practitioners with the practical tools they need to lead, manage, and conserve more effectively. Grounded in the realities of wildlife communities and delivered in local languages, LAMP turns commitment into tangible impact.

Many leaders and staff of wildlife conservancies, as well as the philanthropies that support them, come from backgrounds in zoology or environmental science. Few have formal training in business or management. Yet community-led wildlife conservancies face complex leadership and operational challenges.

MSWC is proud to have supported the first LAMP training in northern Kenya dedicated exclusively to local women. These women, many of whom are leaders of grassroots women’s associations, come from predominantly Maasai pastoralist communities. The LAMP curriculum was designed with them in mind, using visual and practical approaches to teach essential leadership and management skills. This makes the program accessible to those with limited formal education or literacy.

A facilitator working with participants during a LAMP course in Lamu
A training session held outdoors in the field

Through programs like LAMP, MSWC is helping to build a new generation of conservation leaders: locally rooted, equipped for impact, and ready to protect wildlife for generations to come.

Governance

Board of Directors

Shivani BhallaFounder & CEO, Ewaso Lions
Sanne BitterCo founder and Partner at Tatu Collective
H. Landis GabelEmeritus Professor of Economics & Management, INSEAD
Javed HamidMember of Management Group, Director, East Asia and Pacific Region, IFC
Patrick KlemzAttorney, Miller, Miller & Canby
Margaret OtienoDeputy Chair, IUCN CEC
Guy PfeffermannFounder & President, MSWC
Charles SenkondoFounding Member, Association of African Development Learning Centres (AADLC)
Rebecca StromeyerManaging Director and Founder, ICWE GmbH

Advisory Board

Irene CrowePresident and Founder, Pettus-Crowe Foundation
Jagi GakunjuFounder, Wajee Nature Park; Director & Chairman, Africa Fund for Endangered Wildlife
Alan GelbSenior Fellow, Center for Global Development
Frank LysyFormer Chief Economist & Director, Economics and Policy Group, World Bank’s Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency
Alexander Ramirez BlonskiCo-Founder and Chief Product Officer at Columbus Earth

Working together

Partners

MSWC works hand-in-hand with a diverse network of partners (business schools, conservation organizations, foundations, NGOs, and government agencies) who share our commitment to strengthening leadership and management in wildlife conservation.

Our partners contribute in many ways: designing and delivering training programs, providing funding and resources, sharing research and insights, and opening doors to new opportunities for conservancies across Africa. Their support helps us reach remote, community-led initiatives and deliver practical, locally relevant learning that makes a lasting impact.

Partner with us to shape a future where conservation efforts are not only ecologically effective but also professionally managed and sustainable.