Our people

From travellers to childhood tree-planters, from university professors to economists, this group is bound by a life-long love of nature. They volunteer their time and expertise—and lots of it—to support our organisation as we support life.

All members are encouraged to join us at our Annual General Meeting (AGM), to receive reports from the current Board of Directors and be notified of the results of the election.

The annual Wilderness Society Members’ Forum also provides our Members with the opportunity to be updated on the activities of the organisation.

Amanda Branley

WA | Convenor, re-elected 27 November 2024

Amanda holds a Masters degree in Leadership and Management and has graduated from the Australian Institute of Company Directors' Company Director Course. She is a member of The Chartered Institute of Procurement and Supply (CIPS) Committee and has experience as a committee member of a number of Boards, including the Institute of Public Administration Australia WA.

With over 20 years of experience in the government sector, Amanda is a consultant procurement and contract coach.

Amanda is currently serving her third term as Director on The Wilderness Society Ltd Board, and prior to that held the roles of Convenor and Treasurer for The Wilderness Society WA Management Committee for three years.

Amanda is Board Convenor and a member of the Finance, Audit, Risk and Compliance Committee.

Michael Gillam

Qld | Deputy Convenor, re-elected 26 November 2025

Michael has over 20 years of experience in financial services and not-for-profit organisations with a major focus on executive and senior management roles in Risk Management, Compliance and Governance.

Having developed and assisted boards in creating risk mitigation and governance frameworks to ensure risk for reward is balanced, Michael sees this as a strong value-add for The Wilderness Society. His strong financial knowledge and Bachelor of Commerce with Accounting and Business Law majors have seen Michael appointed to several finance and property committees.

Michael is Deputy Convenor and Convenor of the Governance Committee of the Board.

Assoc Prof Jen Martin

Vic | Appointed 10 January 2024

The climate and biodiversity crises mean it has never been more critical for accurate scientific information to be clearly communicated to diverse audiences. With a PhD in behavioural ecology, Jen spent many years working as a field ecologist studying Australian native mammals. She is deeply committed to helping scientists develop the skills they need to be visible, make connections and have impact in the real world. To that end she founded and leads the University of Melbourne's acclaimed Science Communication Teaching Program and has been teaching other scientists how to be effective and engaging communicators for over 15 years.

Jen also practises what she preaches: for 18 years she has been talking about science each week on 3RRR radio, writing for a variety of publications, hosting the Let’s Talk SciComm podcast and MCing many science-related events. She was named the 2019 Unsung Hero of Australian Science Communication and is a member of the Teaching Faculty for Homeward Bound, a global leadership initiative for women and non-binary people with a background in STEMM. Jen’s first popular science book, ‘Why am I like this? The science behind your weirdest thoughts and habits’ was published by Hardie Grant in January 2024.

Jen has been Ambassador for The Wilderness Society’s Nature Book Week since 2020 and is thrilled to use her skills to serve as a Director for The Wilderness Society.

Andrew Barker

Vic | Re-Elected 29 November 2023

Andrew joined the Board in 2020 after having been a passionate supporter of the Wilderness Society and its purpose for many years. He holds a Bachelor of Commerce from the University of Melbourne. He is a fellow of the Institute of Actuaries of Australia and has attended INSEAD for multiple leadership programmes.

Andrew’s Wilderness Society Board directorship includes being the Convenor of the Finance, Audit, Risk and Compliance Sub Committee. He has worked in senior financial and management roles for over 15 years, including financial services and non-profit Board experience, and brings financial, strategic, governance, leadership and analytical skills to the Board. He believes The Wilderness Society has a unique opportunity to drive change with a clear strategy to achieve this. The challenge lies in executing this strategy across all parts of the enterprise, including careful financial and risk management.

Andrew is a member and Convenor of the Finance, Audit, Risk and Compliance Committee.

Bill Doyle

SA/NT | Elected 27 November 2024

Bill is an Honorary Life Member of The Wilderness Society, an award received in recognition of more than 25 years of working alongside the South Australian branch on a series of wilderness protection campaigns, beginning in the late 1990s with the fight to remove a magnesite mining company from the Vulkathunha / Gammon Ranges National Park, then attaining a Wilderness Protection Area in the Yellabinna Regional Reserve, and subsequently the campaign to remove mining rights from the Arkaroola Wilderness Sanctuary.

This work led to Bill receiving Certificates of Commendation as part of the Conservation Council of SA's Jill Hudson Awards for Environmental Protection in 2000 and 2002.

He has also been involved in other wilderness work with the Wilderness Society – frequently acting as a photographer – on other campaigns, including the conservation of the Nullarbor and South Australian west and far west coasts, the Simpson Desert, post-fire wilderness protection on Kangaroo Island and the fight against the fossil fuel industry in the Great Australian Bight.

Following appointment to a casual vacancy in June 2024, Bill was elected to the Board at the 2024 AGM. Bill sees the organisation facing key challenges of ongoing habitat destruction, lopsided overly industry-friendly regulation with little opportunity for public input, and particularly the threat posed by climate change.

Bettina Pidcock

TAS | Elected 27 November 2024

Bettina Pidcock is an experienced, senior professional in the

commercial and not-for-profit sectors with a career spanning the arts, retail and wholesale banking, wealth management (including superannuation, investment, financial advice and private banking), life and general insurance.

She has held leadership positions at major Australian Financial Institutions in strategic marketing, communications, product management, corporate affairs and customer experience and has led a NFP educational organisation.

Bettina has non-executive director experience in NFP organisations, industry advisory boards, a philanthropic foundation and a privately owned company, is a graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors and holds a Masters in Business Administration from the Australian Graduate School of Management.

She has a passion for science and sustainability, having graduated with a BSc in Chemistry and holding certificate qualifications in sustainability from both the Cambridge Institute of Sustainability Leadership and the University of Tasmania. These studies have enabled her to hone her skills in communicating sustainability challenges to diverse groups and engaging the companies she has worked for in accelerating their adoption of more sustainable practices. She is a strong believer that individuals, advocacy groups, governments and corporations all have a responsibility to act to create a more sustainable world and to protect nature’s precious ecosystems.
 

Kristina Koenig

SA/NT | Elected 26 November 2025

With six years of not-for-profit board experience as both Director and Co-Chair, a previous career in strategy consulting and a decade’s experience in mostly Indigenous-led conservation and land management, and carbon and nature markets, Kristina Koenig is looking forward to contributing to the team not only a strong governance track record but also an understanding of both the on-ground challenges and the ecological and socioeconomic realities conservation organisations are facing, as well as a proactive approach to building and leveraging partnerships and innovative financial and policy solutions at a local and national level. 

Kristina is excited by the prospect of helping drive a vision that aligns with both her passions and values, and working with a Board and staff that value integrity and believe in people being part of sustainable solutions for nature.  

Particularly, she hopes to contribute the combination of corporate financial and non-profit background to the Board as we ensure the financial sustainability of the organisation into the future. Secondly, and noting the historical challenges engaging respectfully and equitably with our First Nations people, she hopes to bring experience of the Indigenous context to bear in integrating a constructive and genuine approach to collaboration with Traditional Owners. Lastly, as The Wilderness Society not only maintains and strengthens its grassroots work and builds a presence more generally in the policy and government advocacy landscape, Kristina looks forward to furthering the organisation’s purpose through this higher-level engagement.  

Fern Cadman

Fossil Fuel Industry Campaigner

Fern works to combat offshore fossil fuel and gas expansion, tackling the mounting impacts of climate change, and improving regulation around the fossil fuel and resources industry. Fern came to the Wilderness Society with a wealth of experience as an adviser to Victorian Greens MP Ellen Sandell, as well as to the Australian and Victorian Governments on climate change, agriculture and drug law reform. She holds a Bachelor of Laws and Bachelor of Science from ANU, as well as a Graduate Diploma in Public Policy.

Amanda Holly

Corporate Campaigner

Amanda campaigns to shift the industries driving environmental destruction, focusing on deforestation, fossil fuels and destructive finance, and the corporate behaviour that underpins them. She brings a rare combination of campaigning expertise and industry insight, with experience on both sides of the corporate fence. Most recently, Amanda led major animal protection campaigns as Campaign Manager at AnimalKIND, where she now sits on the Board. Earlier in her career she held business development and account management roles at Fuji Xerox and Carsales.com, giving her a working knowledge of how corporates plan and respond to pressure.
 

Jo Hopkins

Victorian Campaigns Manager

Jo campaigns for the permanent protection of Eastern Victoria's tall forests to secure this precious habitat for threatened species and to ensure these native forests are not again subject to logging and can be enjoyed for future generations. Her professional background includes extensive experience in protected areas management, environmental policy development and program delivery at the local, national and international levels. Jo is passionate about the health and wellbeing benefits derived from nature and has a deep commitment to the vital role that nature plays in ensuring a healthy natural world.
 

Alyx Douglas

West Australian Campaigns Manager

With a background spanning communications, conservation and wildlife biology, Alyx has spent the past eight years leading campaign strategy across the conservation and international education sectors. Before joining the Wilderness Society, she led the international marketing and communications strategy for UWA College, a strategic partnership between The University of Western Australia and INTO University Partnerships. Prior to that, Alyx managed marketing, communications and events for Protect Ningaloo, where she was part of the team that successfully lobbied the McGowan Government to establish the Exmouth Gulf Marine Park.
 

Peter Owen

Director of Wilderness Society South Australia

During Peter’s time at the Wilderness Society, he has worked tirelessly on greater protections for the Lake Eyre Basin, the Great Australian Bight, and the Murray-Darling Basin. He also works on marine conservation, offshore oil and gas issues, and conserving Ramsar wetlands. Peter has a Bachelor of Laws from the University of Adelaide, and an extensive conservation background that includes contributions to the Federal Marine Parks Committee and past involvement with the IUCN Australian Executive. With a passion for safeguarding our natural treasures, Pete leads our efforts in South Australia with dedication and a wealth of knowledge.

Alice Hardinge

Tasmanian Campaigns Manager

Alice Hardinge is an environmental campaigner with over ten years of experience in grassroots and professional environmental advocacy. With a background ranging from front-line direct action in threatened forests, to directing strategic litigation, to political and corporate lobbying, Alice is passionate about using a variety of tactics and working with communities to achieve environmental and First Nations justice. As well as working as the Tasmanian Campaigns Manager for the Wilderness Society, Alice volunteers on the executive of Lawyers for Forests and the ACF Council. 

Victoria Jack

New South Wales Campaigns Manager

Victoria is a dedicated advocate for environmental conservation, and with a background in journalism, communications, indigenous affairs, and academic research, she brings a wealth of expertise to the Wilderness Society. Victoria holds a Bachelors and Ph.D. in communications and serves as an adjunct lecturer at UNSW. Her passion lies in protecting our natural landscapes, and she specialises in campaigning for the conservation of NSW’s natural environment, improved community rights, combating deforestation in NSW and across the country, and ending offshore and onshore fossil fuel extraction.
 

Jenita Enevoldsen

Senior Campaigner

Jenita’s work with the Wilderness Society focuses on ending the extraction and use of fossil fuels, protecting marine ecosystems, and strengthening the rights of communities and First Nations peoples. Her extensive background includes work on the Great Barrier Reef and for the Australian Marine Conservation Society. Jenita holds a Bachelor of Science, majoring in Marine Biology and a Master's in Environment, specialising in aquatic resources and the improvement of catchments to impact Marine Protected Areas. As a Senior Campaigner, Jenita's expertise and dedication are invaluable to our campaigns to protect Australia’s environment.