Team – Carpathia

The Foundation Conservation Carpathia team

The team is at the heart of everything. Collaboration, trust and shared values give rise to ideas that come to life and become actions with a real impact.

Our values

Shared values bring us together

From the field to the office, more than 150 people contribute every day to protecting the Făgăraș Mountains and improving the quality of life of local communities: biologists, ecologists, forestry engineers, communication, education, community development, finance, legal, IT, tourism, administration and logistics specialists.
Together, we are building the future Făgăraș Mountains National Park.

“We came to Romania drawn by the wilderness of the Carpathians and their untouched beauty,” said Barbara & Christoph Promberger. “Here we found not only forests and fascinating animals, but also people who are still very close to nature. Our dream is for the Făgăraș Mountains to become a place where nature and communities grow together, a true Yellowstone of Europe. Every step we take alongside the team and local people brings us closer to this ideal.”

Board of directors

Through their experience, the members of the Board of Directors help us turn our vision into concrete action for nature to fill the Foundation's mission and values with life.

Ioana David-Narby

SWITZERLAND

Born in the Carpathians, Ioana David-Narby is a strategic communication and sustainability specialist. She has international experience developing communication strategies and partnerships and is involved as a member of Foundation Conservation Carpathia. Her work focuses on helping to turn concrete conservation actions into stories that connect organisations, communities and the public with nature protection.

Angelo Salsi

ITALY

Angelo Salsi is a specialist in environmental policy and nature conservation. In 1994 he joined the European Commission, where he worked for almost three decades in areas including nature conservation, environment, climate and energy. He coordinated the European LIFE programme and later became head of the department for natural resources, climate, sustainable blue economy and energy at CINEA. He retired from European service in 2022.

Toby Aykroyd

UNITED KINGDOM

Toby Aykroyd is director of the Wild Europe Foundation and sits on the board of The European Nature Trust. He has a background in economics, management, international development and public policy. He is involved in nature conservation at European level and contributes to conservation strategies and to identifying and supporting new projects.

Nik Leuthold

SWITZERLAND

Nik Leuthold is a Swiss musician, journalist and activist with a longstanding interest in nature and adventure. He is involved in cultural and environmental projects, combining experience in communication, culture, mountain activities and environmental initiatives.

Paul Lister

UNITED KINGDOM

Paul Lister is chairman and founder of The European Nature Trust (TENT), an organisation established in 2000 to support nature conservation and restoration in Europe. In 2003 he acquired Alladale Wilderness Reserve in Scotland, where he developed a major rewilding project. TENT supports conservation projects many parts of Europe.

Anders Holch Povlsen

DENMARK

Anders Holch Povlsen is a Danish entrepreneur and CEO of the Bestseller group. He has been involved in nature conservation and restoration for many years, particularly in Scotland, where he and his family developed the WildLand project, based on ecosystem restoration and rewilding across very large areas.

Ovidiu Șandor

ROMANIA

Ovidiu Șandor is a Romanian entrepreneur and investor involved in property development and urban regeneration projects. He was co-developer of The Office project in Cluj-Napoca and initiator of the ISHO project in Timișoara (a large-scale mixed-use urban regeneration project). He is also founder of the Art Encounters Foundation and an important supporter of contemporary art in Romania.

Hansjörg Wyss

SWITZERLAND/USA

Hansjörg Wyss is an entrepreneur, philanthropist and one of the world's most important private supporters of nature conservation. He built Synthes USA into a global leader in medical technology and later devoted a large part of his resources to philanthropy, research and nature protection. Through the Wyss Foundation and other initiatives, he has supported the protection of very large areas of land and ecosystems worldwide. Support from the Wyss Foundation has enabled us to acquire and protect extensive areas of forest and alpine pasture in the Făgăraș Mountains.

Christof Schenck

GERMANY

Christof Schenck is a biologist and specialist in ecosystem and wildlife conservation. Since 2000, he has led Frankfurt Zoological Society, an international organisation running conservation programmes in numerous countries. He is vice-president of Foundation Conservation Carpathia and is involved in several organisations dedicated to biodiversity conservation. Christof has been awarded with the German Environmental Award in 2022.

Charlie Burrell

UNITED KINGDOM

Charlie Burrell is the owner of the Knepp estate in West Sussex and one of the pioneers of the rewilding movement in the United Kingdom. The Knepp model, based on natural processes and free-roaming grazing animals, has become an international example of rewilding. Charlie is chairman of Foundation Conservation Carpathia and is involved in numerous European nature restoration initiatives.

Support nature projects

If you would like to contribute to our vision and believe your experience can make a difference, we invite you to contact Ana-Maria Atonoaie, Partnership Director, at a.atonoaie@carpathia.org.