CEO/Administration Team
Zambian Carnivore Programme
In order to conduct the collaborative activities of ZCP across the country we rely on a close-knit management team to coordinate with all projects, partners and stakeholders.
Dr. Matthew Becker
A wildlife ecologist, Matt joined the project in 2008 as the CEO and Programme Manager and oversees all research, conservation and capacity-building/education efforts for the organization. An Affiliate Research Faculty at the Montana State University’s Department of Ecology, he has over 25 years experience on a variety of wildlife field research and conservation projects in North America, Antarctica, and Africa, studying numerous endangered species. Matt conducts and coordinates programme activities with the support and collaboration of Zambia’s Department of National Parks and Wildlife (DNPW). His fields of research interest and expertise include predator-prey dynamics and conservation biology. Matt is also an Honorary Wildlife Police Officer for DNPW.
Dr. Terry Brncic
Terry joined ZCP as the Deputy Director in 2022 and is responsible for general program management. She has a DPhil in Tropical Forest Ecology from Oxford University in the UK and has completed two postdoctoral research positions in Central African paleoecology at Oxford University and Université Libre de Bruxelles, Belgium. Terry has worked in Central and West Africa for over 20 years, most recently spending six years in northern Congo-Brazzaville as the Director of Research and Ecological Monitoring in Nouabalé-Ndoki National Park, and over three years in Kinshasa, DRC as a Regional Coordinator for the World Resources Institute. Apart from forest ecology, she has studied bongo populations in Congo, chimpanzees in Sierra Leone, lowland gorillas in the Central African Republic, and caterpillars in Panama. Outside of work she is an enthusiastic beach volleyball player.
Masauso Nkhoma
Masauso Nkhoma joined ZCP as Accounts and Administrative Assistant in May 2016. He was born and educated in Lusaka, where he began his training as an accountant. Over the course of his career he has worked in both the commercial and nonprofit sectors, including tourism, the food industry and now conservation. In his spare time, Masauso is studying to take exams for higher level qualifications in accounting and taxation, with the Zambia Institute of Chartered Accountants.
Salia Phiri
Salia was born and raised in the capital of Zambia, Lusaka. Growing up, Salia loved to watch nature documentaries which planted the seed that grew into her love and passion towards conservation. Salia earned a bachelor’s degree in biology from the Copperbelt University in 2020. After graduation, Salia joined the Greater Liuwa team in 2021 as a Field Ecologist trainee in our Women in Wildlife Conservation Training Programme. She then worked as a Senior Field Ecologist with our West Lunga/Kabompo Ecosystem team where she was responsible for the Camera Trapping field work and Conservation Club. She is now our Partner Engagement and Data Coordinator based in Lusaka. When she isn’t in the bush working with ZCP she loves listening to music and spending time with her family and friend.
Caz Sanguinetti
Caz joined ZCP in 2014, after completing her Master’s degree in Cape Town, South Africa. Her thesis focused on the use of underwater camera traps to monitor species abundance and diversity of fish in marine protected areas. Prior to joining ZCP, she worked on various research projects across Africa, including okapi in the Democratic Republic of Congo and gorillas and chimpanzees in Gabon. Caz has worked across all three sites, including as Project Manager for ZCP’s Kafue Project, and is now the Operations Manager for ZCP.
Elke van Gils
Elke joined ZCP in 2023 as the Data Manager. From an early age she has been dreaming of working in Africa and contributing to the conservation of wildlife and wild places. With double Master of Science degrees in Biology and Forest and Nature Conservation from Wageningen University & Research, Elke worked 5 years as the International Wildlife Program Manager for WWF-Netherlands and coordinated their global human wildlife conflict program. Additionally, she has worked with primates in madagascar, rhinos in Zimbabwe, Community Based Natural Resource Management projects in Namibia and the illegal wildlife trade in Central Africa. Her other interest is in the various applications of technology and GIS, which she has managed to combine in her conservation work. Elke is responsible for developing ZCP’s new data management system, training field ecologists on using the SMART conservation tool and managing our Earth Ranger platform. She loves to do handstands, especially on top of her land rover.