DREAM
TEAM
The Board
Guiding Odonata’s vision and impact, our board brings together leaders in conservation, business, and strategy to drive meaningful change for biodiversity and the environment.
Nigel Sharp
Chairman & Founder
Nigel is one of Australia’s leading innovators in biodiversity conservation. He is an environmental impact investor, conservationist, and business innovator. Read more.
Gail Reynolds-Adamson (AM)
Board Director
Gail is a proud descendant of the Wiradjuri People and a talented businesswoman. She works across numerous Aboriginal-led, owned, and operated organisations. Read more.
Don Macleod
Board Director
With over 20 years of board experience in the not-for-profit sector, Don has an established career in banking and financial services, having worked with institutions like NAB and Bank of Queensland. Read more.
Magnus Nilsson
Board Director
Magnus is the Marketing & Strategy Director at AusWalk. He has extensive experience in marketing management and strategy development across various industries. Read more.
Our team
Passionate, dedicated, and driven by impact, our team works on the ground and behind the scenes to restore biodiversity, protect native species, and create lasting environmental change.
Steph Swann
Chief Executive Officer
Steph is a strategic thinker with expertise in business transformation and finance functions. As a former Odonata Board Member, Steph has been with us since inception and is excited to transition from her role as CFO to CEO, leading the organisation through its next phase of saving species.
Read more.
Sam Marwood
Advisory & Growth Pipeline
Sam has been part of Odonata since its inception and became CEO in 2017. As of July 2025, Sam stood down as CEO to make way for a new season of growth and is currently working to build diversified incomes streams for the organisation Read more.
Matt Singleton
Chief Operating Officer
Matt wears many hats, coordinating stakeholders, managing major projects and leading the delivery of Odonata's safe haven programs. He has experience across agriculture, urban solutions, and the not-for-profit sectors. Read more.
Dale Crisp
Species Manager
Dale delivers on-ground results across Odonata’s safe haven network, playing a key role in conserving and managing threatened species and restoring their habitats.
Cassie Duncan
Communications Director
Cassie is a marketing and communications professional with over 20-years experience in the not-for-profit sector. She is passionate about building deeper connections between people and nature. Read more.
Sam Lancaster
Operations Manager
Sam supports the delivery of on-ground operations across Odonata's safe haven network, providing applied field, fencing and ecological support for conservation management.
Sheryl Nettleton
Field Officer
Sheryl is a qualified horticulturalist with over 17-years experience in the environmental sector. She plays a key role in pest management and biodiversity monitoring at safe havens in Odonata’s network.
Dr. Damian Jones
Program Ecologist and Ranger
Damian is dedicated to protecting and restoring unique ecosystems. Passionate about biodiversity, he is on the frontlines of species recovery and habitat conservation. Read more.
Georgia Randall
Program Ecologist
Georgia is now completing her PhD at Deakin University (in partnership with Odonata) on the role of native mammals in carbon cycling and ecosystem restoration. She continues to support the team with offset management, biodiversity monitoring, and project research, while exploring how saving species can deliver both conservation and climate benefits. Read more.
Amy Cockroft
Advisory Lead
Amy heads up Odonata’s Advisory division; she is an experienced, personable business professional with more than 15-years experience in project management. She holds a Master of Business Administration (Project Management). Read more.
Kate Base
Academy Coordinator
Kate leads the development and delivery of Odonata Academy courses, combining her expertise in education with a Master’s in Teaching to create impactful learning experiences in conservation. Read more.
Dr Andrew Weeks
Science Advisor & Director Cesar Australia
Experienced Director with a demonstrated history of working in the environmental services industry. Skilled in Conservation Genetics, Environmental Consulting, Entomology, Ecology, and Conservation Biology. Strong professional with a Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) focused in Genetics and Evolution from La Trobe University. Read more.
Cathy Bonanno
Finance Manager
By Nigel’s side for over two decades, Cathy has recently joined Odonata full time. Savvy, fun, and endlessly organised, she brings deep experience and energy to everything she does. Read more.
John van Tiggelen
Ranger, Orana Park Sanctuary
John is our first dedicated Ranger at Orana, focussing his time on varied conservation and threatened species management functions including fencing, weed control, camera monitoring, community engagement and other vital inputs that support our growing ranger team.
Our volunteers
The backbone of everything we do.
In 2024 alone, they contributed over 10,000 hours to our safe havens, an average of 30 volunteers each week, helping with everything from habitat restoration to species care (and all the muddy jobs in between).
We couldn’t protect what we do without them.
