Danene van der Westhuyzen, Namibia
Born 1979, Windhoek, Namibia
Following her father, hunting runs in her veins, and she has been a committed hunter since childhood. Her strong dedication and love of nature led her to leave a successful career in optometry, and to choose hunting instead. After six rigorous years of training, in 2012 she became the first woman in Namibia to qualify as a dangerous game PH.
She feels her personal mission is to represent the ancient, true values of hunting, and to restore their importance and reputation. In her opinion, it is in one’s own interest to discover or rediscover the simple wonders of everyday life, nature, and the beauties of nature and respect for its laws – a better understanding of which also contributes to respect for nature and game animals. Danene van der Westhuyzen is committed to the importance of hunting – including ethical hunting – in every possible forum.
Representing the above vision at all levels, she is involved in the leadership of a number of Namibian and African organizations: President of NAPHA (Namibia Professional Hunting Association), Board Member of OPHAA (Operators and Professional Hunting Associations of Africa), Trustee of HUAP (Hunters United Against Poaching), etc.
As an outfitter she is approved by Rowland Ward (2016), and in 2018 was Dallas Safari Club “Hunting Outfitter of the Year”.
Together with her husband Gysbert, she runs the famous “Aru Safari Lodges” in Namibia.
Laird Hamberlin, USA
Born 1965, Mississippi, USA
Since April 2019 he has been CEO of the SCI (Safari Club International) and SCIF (SCI Foundation). Since 1986 he has been a committed member of the organization, both in local chapters and later at international level. He has extensive international experience in his business ventures. His international business career has involved a period of residence in Singapore.
He studied marketing at Delta State University. He is a dedicated scout, so he loves nature and the outdoors. He is a high-ranking, “Black Belt” Six Sigma business methodology leader and problem-solving manager.
He is a dedicated hunter, angler and golfer. He has been married for 33 years and is the father of 3 adult sons.
Jarkko Nurmi, Finland
Born 1968, Kuortane, Finland
He is a forest engineer (qualified 1994) with a degree in wildlife biology (2005) from the University of Helsinki. From 1995 to 2011 he worked at the Central Organization of Hunters (Finland), and since 2011 he had been the director of the Sustainable Game Management Department of the Finnish Game Conservation Office.
He specializes in the regulation and protection of Finnish wildlife management plans – especially for large carnivores and ungulates – and participates in national and international wildlife and habitat restoration projects. He is a strategic partner in the Finnish Wildlife Agency and in international wildlife cooperation programmes.
Martin Žižka, Czech Republic
Born 1973, Písek, Czech Republic
In 1997 he graduated as a forest engineer at the Faculty of Forestry, the Czech University of Agriculture in Prague (CZU). He completed his PhD studies on the same campus, specializing in game management (2006). From 1998 to 2002 he was Deputy Chief Forester in the Forest and Game Management Department in Kladruby nad Labem.
Since 2002 he has worked for the Czech Ministry of Agriculture, where he has held several positions. He is currently the Deputy Director General of the Ministry, and the Head of the Department of Fisheries, Game Management and Beekeeping.
Dr. Imrich Šuba (Imre Suba), Slovakia
Born 1972, Šala, Slovakia
Executive President of the Slovakian Hunting Chamber. He specializes in state management of hunting, increasing the efficiency of hunting organizations, and is a dedicated researcher of game management problems and large carnivores.
He graduated from the Pedagogical University of Nitra as a teacher of geography and PE, and then studied zoology and game management at the Hunting Department of TU Zvolen. He has a PhD degree.
Dr. Lajos Bognár, Hungary
Born 1972, Szeghalom, Hungary
Hungary’s Chief Veterinary Officer, Deputy State Secretary for Food Chain Supervision at the Ministry of Agriculture. Leader of the country’s ASF (African swine fever) prevention programme and its fight against ASF in the areas in which the disease has already appeared.
He graduated from the University of Veterinary Medicine as a veterinary surgeon. He began his career in 1998 as a county veterinarian in Békés County, Hungary. In 2010–2011 he worked as the chairman of the legal predecessor of the National Food Chain Safety Office (NÉBIH). Since 2011 Dr. Lajos Bognár has been the Deputy State Secretary for Food Chain Supervision at the Ministry of Agriculture, and initially also National Deputy Chief Veterinary Officer. Since 2014, as a National Chief Veterinary Officer, he has managed the expert work of the food chain supervisory authority, the National Food Chain Safety Office. He is also an honorary associate professor, a member of the Executive Board of the FAO’s European Commission for the Control of Foot-and-Mouth Disease, a Hungarian delegate to the OIE (World Organisation for Animal Health), and a member of the European Commission’s Expert Group on Animal Health.
Prof. Dr. Miklós Heltai, Hungary
Born 1967, Budapest, Hungary
Director of institute, professor, Doctor of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences, MATE Institute for Wildlife Management and Nature Conservation, Gödöllő, Hungary
Agricultural engineer (1992), game management engineer (1998), Bachelor of Laws in Hunting (2015). Doctoral (PhD) degree in 2003, habilitation in 2011, Doctor of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences (DSc) in 2017. Hungarian University of Agricultural and Life Sciences, Director Professor at the Institute of Wildlife Management and Wildlife Conservation
Areas of research and interest: Hungarian predatory mammals, research into golden jackal population dynamics, development of management strategies, species protection plans, urbanization of wild species, etc.
Dr. Ferenc Jánoska, Hungary
Born 1966, Esztergom, Hungary
Associate Professor at the University of Sopron, Hungary.
Forest engineer, nature conservation engineer, holder of candidate’s degree in Agricultural (Forestry) Science; Institute of Wildlife Management and Wildlife Biology, Faculty of Forestry, University of Sopron.
Areas of research and interest: game biology, game management, breeding of game animals in captivity, agricultural damage by game animals, legal expertise, etc.
Dr. Zoltán Sárhegyi, Hungary
Born in Martonvásár, Hungary
In 1981 he graduated cum laude in law from the Faculty of Law, Eötvös Loránd University. In 1983 he passed his final examination to be a professional lawyer. Since 1991 he has been the head of the Sárhegyi and Partners Law Office. A practicing, dedicated hunter.
Since its establishment, his law firm has primarily specialized in areas defined by commercial law. His client groups and responsibilities include special legal services related to the membership of the legal committee of OMVK (National Chamber of Hungarian Hunters), and the organization and holding of conferences related to hunting and forestry law.
Erika Csányi, Hungary
Born 1967, Budapest, Hungary
She graduated as an economist (1985) from the Financial Institutions Department of the College of Finance and Accounting, and in 2018 graduated from NyME (University of West Hungary, now called University of Sopron) as a game management administration officer. She obtained her MSc degree in game management at Szent István University (SZIE). She is currently a PhD student at the University of Sopron (SE).
Since 2006 she has been the President of the Dél-Dunántúli (South Transdanubian) Fauna Hunting Association. She is the founder and board member of the Fauna and Flora Nature Conservation Foundation. In 2018 she was elected a member of the Somogy County Game Management Council. She is an active hunter and conservationist. Her areas of interest are wildlife biology and sailing.
She is married, and a mother of 3.
Dr. Ladislav Molnár, Slovakia
Born 1973, Slovakia
He graduated as a veterinary at the University of Veterinary Medicine, Kosice, Slovakia. Now he is the Head of Department of the Exotic and Wild Animal Clinics of the same campus. He is the common representative of both the Slovakian and Hungarian Falconry Associaton.
He has great experiences of birds of prey medicine and rehabilitation, especially with species used by falconers. One of the most exciting part of the conference will be when Dr. Molnár is going to lead an endoscopic surgery on a bird of prey during his lecturer.