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The team

The people behind every project.

Filmmakers, conservationists, attorneys, scientists. The Ecoflix Foundation executive team, Board of Directors and Advisory Board.

8Executive
8Directors & trustees
1Advisor
2Registered entities
How we're organized

One foundation, three layers.

A small executive runs day-to-day operations. A Board of Directors handles governance. The Advisory Board lends expertise in conservation.

Tier 01

Executive

Day-to-day operations. The full-time team running the platform, the productions, the partnerships and the field programmes.

8full-time
Tier 02

Board of Directors

Governance and fiduciary oversight. Approves spending, audits programmes, signs off every annual report.

8directors & trustees
Tier 03

Advisory Board

Conservation expertise from beyond the foundation's own team.

1advisor
Executive team

The people running it.

The full-time team. Between them they hold credentials across documentary filmmaking, conservation biology, environmental law, design, marketing and growth.

Chief Executive Officer and Founder
David B. Casselman

Philanthropist and retired trial lawyer who has dedicated much of his life to animal welfare.

LA, USA · 34.05°N 118.24°W
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David Casselman is a philanthropist and retired trial lawyer who has dedicated much of his life to animal welfare, including over 40 years of pro bono legal work for a wide variety of animal causes. He is a co-founder of the Cambodia Wildlife Sanctuary, a longtime supporter of Elephant Nature Park in Thailand, a member of the Board of the Wolf Connection Sanctuary in Los Angeles, a member of the Advisory Board of the Whale Sanctuary Project in Nova Scotia, and the CEO and founder of The Ecoflix Foundation and the Ecoflix Channel, available worldwide, for free, with no commercials. (www.ecoflix.com)

Head of Conservation
Ian Redmond, OBE

Field biologist who studied with Dian Fossey. 50 years documenting and protecting great apes worldwide.

Bristol, UK · 51.45°N 2.58°W
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Ian began his career as Dian Fossey's research assistant at Karisoke Research Centre in Rwanda. Half a century on, he is one of the world's longest-serving primatologists. He chairs the Ape Alliance, has been Senior Wildlife Consultant to the Born Free Foundation since 1986, and remains a regular field presence in Central Africa and Indonesia.

At Ecoflix, Ian sets the scientific standard for every conservation programme we fund. No project enters the portfolio without his sign-off on its biological evidence base.

Primatologist Senior Consultant · Born Free Chair · Ape Alliance 50 years field
Head of Brand Design
Giles Tobin

Brand designer with 15+ years across consumer, conservation and not-for-profit. Designed the platform, the foundation identity and ecoflix.com.

London, UK · 51.50°N 0.13°W
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Giles leads brand, design and digital experience across the Ecoflix Foundation. He designed the foundation identity, the channel platform, and the donor-facing site you're reading now.

Previously he led design at agencies and in-house teams across consumer, conservation and not-for-profit sectors, with a particular focus on the visual systems that make difficult causes feel approachable.

Brand designer 15+ years Platform · Identity EB Design Agency
Head of Technology
Iain S Bruce

Award-winning journalist and editor turned media technologist. From UK and international newsrooms to global production at Universal Music Group — now building the platform and data powering Ecoflix.

Scotland, UK · 56.2°N 4.3°W
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Iain leads technology across the Ecoflix Foundation — the streaming platform, the data architecture that links viewing to giving, and the AI-driven editorial pipeline behind the channel. He joined after a career spanning newsrooms, record labels and the technology that connects them.

Iain began as an award-winning journalist and editor, working across the UK and international press before moving into media production and technology. As VP, Head of Production for Universal Advanced Media he ran global audiovisual operations across Universal Music Group, producing more than 400 filmed projects and helping pioneer immersive audio from Abbey Road and Capitol Studios. He studied at the University of Edinburgh.

Journalist & editor Ex-Universal Music Immersive audio 20+ years
Content Manager
Dharam Barrett

Manages the content programme across the channel, keeping the foundation's storytelling consistent and moving.

Administrative Manager
Jamie Kessinger

Keeps the foundation running day to day, coordinating operations and administration across the team.

Producer & director
Brady Valashinas

Los Angeles filmmaker drawn to stories that deepen our bond with the living planet.

Producer
Sue Houghton

Wildlife producer and director.

Board & trustees

Governance & oversight.

Fiduciary oversight across the foundation's US and UK entities: programme approval, audits and annual reporting.

Chairman · UK Trustee
Dr Niall McCann

Conservationist, explorer and broadcaster with frontline anti-poaching experience.

Director
Lou Pitt

Veteran talent manager and producer, bringing decades of entertainment-industry leadership to the board.

Director
Teo Alfero

Founder of the Wolf Connection sanctuary, where rescued wolves and young people heal alongside one another.

Director
Ellen Francisco

Ellen has extensive experience in the Malibu California real estate market. At the same time, she has demonstrated a lifelong commitment to animal conservation and environmental stewardship. Passionate about all animals, Ellen is dedicated to supporting the Ecoflix Foundation.

Director
Kerry David

Award-winning filmmaker; founder of Ecoflix partner NGO Over and Above Africa and director of Breaking Their Silence: Women on the Frontline of the Poaching War.

Director
Justin Albert OBE

Conservationist and filmmaker. Former Director of the National Trust in Wales and former head of production at Animal Planet.

UK Trustee
Paul Milton

Conservation strategist focused on turning funding into measurable protection on the ground.

UK Trustee
Danny Cohen

Television executive and media founder; a senior broadcasting leader.

Advisory Board

The brains trust.

Conservation expertise from beyond the foundation's own team.

Founder, Elephant Nature Park
Lek Chailert

Founder of Elephant Nature Park and a global voice for elephant welfare.