Our Crew

Executive Team

**Ali Skanda**
Co-Founder, General Manager

**Dipesh Pabari**
Co-Founder, Managing Director

**Victor Béguerie**
Monitoring & Evaluation

**Simon Scott-Harden**
Technical Advisor

**Nassir Bakari Mohammed**
Mangrove Coordinator

Board of Trustees

Our trustees ensure that the Flipflopi Project is run in accordance with its charitable purpose and in the interest of its beneficiaries.

The Board defines The Flipflopi Project's strategy and delegates its powers and responsibilities to the Executive Team, led by the Managing Director.

As the Co-Founder of The Flipflopi Project and its Managing Director, leading the Executive Team, **Dipesh Pabari** has grown The Flipflopi Project from its volunteer driven roots based in Lamu to a full systems approach organisation with activities across East Africa that has received international acclamation as “Africa’s Blue Planet Moment” with formal relationships with the Kenya Government as well as financial support from leading international and multilateral agencies including UNEP, AFD and the FCDO.

**Ben Morison** founded the Flipflopi Project in 2016 as a direct action response to the lag between the scale of the ocean plastics problem and the level of awareness about it. He grew up in Kenya and now lives in the UK with his wife and three children. Ben is owner / board member of two business in the hospitality and events sectors and is prominent member of the Africa travel industry. He also recently co-authored The Wilder Guide to Kenya – a travel guide focused on sustainable travel options in Kenya.

**Rebecca Faber** is Director, Head of Strategy and Purpose at Havas Health & You, a global healthcare communications network, working in a hybrid manner between the UK and East Africa, since she is also a member of The Flipflopi Project's Executive Team, as Head of Communications. She has worked in communications for 20 years, both in the health and environmental sector. Rebecca has been involved with The Flipflopi Project since 2019.

**Shyam Radia** is Deputy Chief Operating Officer at Big Win Philanthrophy, a charitable foundation focused on Sub-Saharan Africa. Shyam has been a corporate lawyer for almost 15 years, having trained and qualified at Slaughter and May, working in London, Nairobi and Hong Kong. Shyam has been involved with The Flipflopi Project since 2017.

Advisory Board

We are fortunate to be able to draw on the support of an external Advisory Board - an important part of our support network and experience bank whose advice and guidance forms an invaluable part of the The Flipflopi Project's day to day activities.

**Prof. Judi Wakhungu** is the former Kenyan ambassador to France and former Cabinet Secretary for Environment. Prior to her diplomatic role, she played a crucial role in environmental protection in Kenya, notably introducing the plastic bag ban in 2017. Prof. Wakhungu has an extensive background, having served on various national and international boards, including roles at the World Bank, Stockholm Environment Institute and the UN. Her tenure saw the implementation of significant environmental laws in Kenya, including the Climate Change Act 2016 and the Wildlife Conservation & Management Act 2013.

David Obura is a Founding Director of CORDIO East Africa and the current chairperson of IPBES. He is dedicated to supporting the sustainability of coral reefs and marine systems in the Western Indian Ocean by translating research into effective management and policy, building capacity, and collaborating with stakeholders, managers, and policymakers. Obura's primary research revolves around coral reef resilience, particularly in the face of climate change, and the biogeography of the Indian Ocean. Obura served on the Earth Commission (2019-2022), contributing to defining a 'safe and just corridor' for the future of both people and the planet.