What if the only way to save nature was to run it like a business?
In this episode, we sit down with Peter Fearnhead, CEO and co-founder of African Parks, the organisation protecting more of Africa’s wild landscapes than any other. Under his leadership, African Parks now manages 24 national parks across 13 countries, covering over 20 million hectares - a model that proves conservation can be financially sustainable, socially empowering, and ecologically transformative.
Peter shares how he’s built one of the most ambitious conservation networks on Earth - from turning near-bankrupt parks into thriving ecosystems, to uniting governments, investors, and local communities behind a single mission. Along the way, we explore why conservation may hold the key to tackling wider economic, humanitarian, and climate crises, and what true leadership looks like in some of the world’s most hostile environments.
This is the story of how business strategy is saving the wild.
Chapters:
00:00 Introduction to High Net Purpose
00:42 Meet Peter Fern: CEO of African Parks
02:17 Peter's Early Life and Passion for Nature
04:51 Founding African Parks and Early Challenges
07:17 The Public-Private Partnership Model
11:35 Conservation Strategies and Law Enforcement
14:25 Community Engagement and Economic Impact
18:10 Restocking Wildlife and Park Success Stories
24:07 Scaling African Parks and Future Goals
26:09 Competition and Collaboration in Conservation
29:12 The Importance of Authenticity in Leadership
30:44 Inspiring Individuals in Conservation
33:16 Challenges in Selecting the Right People
34:43 Managing Media and Mistakes in Conservation
36:57 Complex Trade-offs in Conservation Efforts
47:51 Translocation and Conservation Strategies
56:00 Personal Reflections and Advice
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