The Board Of Trustees

Adrian Skerrett

Glenny Savy

Helena Sims

Chairman & Co-founder

A businessman and conservationist resident in Seychelles since 1980 and naturalised since 1994, Adrian has authored or co-authored many books and articles about Seychelles and its natural history. He has been engaged in the management of Aride since 1981 and founded Seychelles Bird Records Committee in 1992. He served as a Trustee on Seychelles Islands Foundation for 24 years and was a founding trustee of Marine Conservation Society Seychelles, ICS UK and 12 island foundations. He has also served on the boards of Seychelles Heritage Foundation and Wildlife Clubs and is Seychelles representative for the African Bird Club and Royal Naval Birdwatching Society.

Vice Chairman & Co-founder

Born and bred in Seychelles, Glenny has been the Executive Chairman of the Islands Development Company since 1982. He graduated in Economics at the University of Merdoch (Australia) and later obtained a pilot license in South Africa. In the early 1980s, he initiated the first environmental conservation projects in the outer islands of Seychelles managed by IDC in close collaboration with several wildlife specialists. Glenny has pioneered tourism development in the outer islands of Seychelles including hotels at Alphonse, Desroches and Silhouette and fly-fishing activities at Astove and Cosmoledo. He serves as a director on the Boards of a number of private Seychelles-registered companies.

Trustee

Helena Sims holds a BSc in Marine Biology Advanced from the James Cook University, Queensland, Australia. She has many years of experience in Marine Conservation Biology and Project Management, including at the research section at the current Seychelles National Parks Authority, becoming their first female chair. Project coordinator at the Green Islands Foundation and with The Nature Conservancy. She played a leading role to finalise Seychelles’ and the world’s first debt for nature adaptation swap for a marine area. Helena is currently Project manager of the Seychelles Marine Spatial Plan initiative, aiming to balance ecological, social and economic objectives to ensure the sustainable use of our ocean. She assists in funding proposals, research grants and project coordination.

Dr. Jeanne A. Mortimer

Council Member

An American biologist/consultant specialising on the biology and conservation of turtles, working in Seychelles since 1981 and naturalised since 2007. She has worked in some 20 countries for conservation organisations such as WWF International, WWF Malaysia, Fauna & Flora International, Caribbean Conservation Corporation, and Museo Goeldi Brasil. Her interests include coastal ecosystem conservation in the western Indian Ocean, particularly Seychelles where she has served as consultant to the Seychelles Ministry of Environment. She has been a member of the IUCN/SSC Marine Turtle Specialist Group since 1979 and has authored more than 125 publications and reports.

Dr. Gérard Rocamora

Council Member & Co-founder

A naturalised ornithologist and conservation biologist living  in Seychelles since 1995. Gerard has worked in 10 countries of Europe, Africa, America and the Indian Ocean with BirdLife International, Ligue pour la Protection des Oiseaux, Museum National d’Histoire Naturelle (Paris), CNRS, Seychelles Ministry of Environment and IUCN. He has led many conservation projects including the Seychelles White-eye Recovery Programme, eradications of rats on islands and reintroductions of threatened species. He lectures at the University of Seychelles, supervises Masters & PhD students. He is a member of several specialist groups of IUCN and has (co)authored  several books, audio CDs and 70 scientific publications.

Bernard Georges

Trustee

A practicing Barrister, lecturer in law at the University of Seychelles and Leader of Government Business in the National Assembly. Bernard is Seychellois and is the spokesperson for his Party on Territory, Energy and the Environment. He has acted as a SADC and UNEP consultant in the past and has worked for these institutions on projects relating to the law on forestry and coastal management. Bernard was a member of the technical team which produced the Nairobi Convention relating to the Eastern African Regional Seas Programme. He is a published author of fiction and non-fiction. A collection of essays on life in Seychelles is expected later in the year. He also serves as Chairman of Farquhar Foundation.

Pat Matyot

Trustee

A Seychellois naturalist, Pat has authored or co-authored a number of scientific papers and other publications on the natural history of the islands and has a special interest in entomology. He is employed by the Seychelles Broadcasting Corporation and has produced many television features on the country’s flora and fauna. He has taken part in several scientific expeditions throughout Seychelles. He also serves as a Trustee of the Seychelles Islands Foundation, the Marine Parks Authority, Silhouette Foundation and is a member of the Seychelles National Environment Advisory Commission, and of various entomological organisations such as the Orthopterists’ Society (USA).

Michelle Murray

Trustee

Michelle joined ICS as CEO in April 2018 until July 2020. She joined the ICS Board in August 2020. With a background in disciplines of both environmental conservation and political science, and a career spanning public and private sectors in Seychelles, Michelle believes environmental NGOs like ICS are crucial to safeguarding the natural heritage of Seychelles. Michelle is inspired by those with courage, conviction and principle, and loves that her current position as a journalist enables her to meet people who are shaping Seychelles in a positive way. She views her role at ICS as one that brings the opportunity to make a real difference in the community for the benefit of Seychelles.

Edwin Palmer

Trustee

A businessman born in UK and resident in Seychelles since 1984 and naturalized since 1996, Edwin graduated in Physics at Oxford University and then joined Guinness as a brewer. He ran a number of Companies for Guinness including Guinness Malaysia and Guinness Cameroon and looked after Guinness interests in Africa until 1984. He then ran Seychelles Breweries for twelve years. Now retired, he runs a local "Seychelles Secret" guest house, Chepsted Chalets. He has served on the Board of the Environment Trust Fund and on the National Monuments Board. Edwin is also a Chairman of Desroches Foundation and he has been a member of Aride Management Committee since 2003.

Suketu Patel

Trustee

Suketu is a Fellow of The Institute of Chartered Accountants of England and Wales and is certified in International Financial Reporting Standards. He is senior partner and majority shareholder of the largest financial services firm in the Seychelles, Pool & Patel, which is an independent member of Moore Stephens International Limited, regarded as one of the world’s leading accounting and consulting firms. Suketu also serves as Chairman of the Seychelles Financial Services Authority, the regulatory body responsible for non-bank financial services in the Seychelles and for registration of International Business Companies, Foundations, Limited Partnership and International Trusts in Seychelles.

Joanna Prosper

Trustee

Joanna is a Seychellois citizen with over 15 years’ experience in Environmental Project Management, both in the Government and the private sector. She is Project Manager for the GOS-GEF-UNDP Ridge to Reef project. During her time as a project manager, Joanna has gained and developed many important skills that have been crucial in helping her deliver effectively on her projects’ outputs under her direction, such as the Outer Islands Project which ran successfully for five years. Joanna has a Post Graduate Diploma in Environmental Management for Developing and Emerging Countries but sees her first degree in Bachelor of Social Science from Curtin University of Technology as the key to her current career success.