The SANCCOB Board of Directors has appointed Natalie Maskell to lead SANCCOB and with nine years as Chief Operating Officer and Business Manager at SANCCOB, she has already played an important role in our achievements over the last decade. Dr Stephen van der Spuy leaves a legacy with the present and past staff, funders and collaborating partners, and will be missed by many.
Dr Samantha Petersen – SANCCOB Chairperson, says, “Dr Stephen van der Spuy was a visionary leader who led SANCCOB passionately and who achieved great things in his time as Chief Executive Officer of SANCCOB. Stephen will be sorely missed by the SANCCOB Board of Directors, the SANCCOB staff and the seabirds. Together we wish him all the best in his next chapter and thank him for his tremendous contribution to SANCCOB and to seabird conservation.
On behalf of the SANCCOB Board of Directors, I have the pleasure of announcing that after an extensive recruitment process, we have decided to appoint Natalie Maskell as Chief Executive Officer of SANCCOB. Being at the head of a world-renowned organisation, such as SANCCOB, is a multi-faceted job and Natalie is now taking over the reins to manage a passionate team, who will undoubtedly continue to thrive in their roles. We wish Natalie everything of the very best in the position and are confident in her ability to take SANCCOB from strength to strength.”
A message from Dr Stephen van der Spuy
“Resigning as Chief Executive Officer of SANCCOB has been a very difficult decision for me as I am leaving a job that I am passionate about and enjoy immensely. My decision to resign is of a personal nature and is due to the need to be closer to my young son who lives in England.
What an incredible privilege it has been to work at SANCCOB, alongside incredibly talented and committed Staff and Board of Directors. I have grown as a person and will never forget my time at SANCCOB; it is an extraordinary organisation and the implementation of the new strategy will continue in the capable hands of the SANCCOB team. I am pleased and excited to share that SANCCOB has many projects planned for the future which will strengthen SANCCOB as an organisation. Thank you for your continued support for seabirds. It’s with a heavy heart that I will be leaving and I will miss everyone and the seabirds dearly.”
Newly appointed Chief Executive Officer, Natalie Maskell, says, “I am extremely honoured to be appointed as SANCCOB’s Chief Executive Officer and I am delighted to have the privilege of leading the organisation into the future. I have been part of the SANCCOB team for the last nine years, first as Business Manager and then more recently, as Chief Operating Officer, and I have experienced SANCCOB’s development and growth into the highly professional and widely respected organisation that it is today. The SANCCOB staff are the soul of the organisation and I am inspired to be working with such passionate and dedicated people, who want to make a positive change to seabird conservation.
Thank you to the Board of Directors for their trust in me and for their never-failing support and commitment, and thank you to all our staff, members, volunteers and supporters who help SANCCOB remain leaders in seabird conservation.”