Brand-new head for Kruger National Park appointed

SKUKUZA – South African National Parks’ (SANParks) former managing executive of tourism development and marketing, Mr Glenn Phillips, is to take over as the head of Kruger National Park (KNP). He has been appointed on a five-year contract.
Phillips is also acting as managing executive of human resources and will take up this new position as soon as a handover process has been completed.
SANParks general manager of media PR and stakeholder relations, Mr Reynold Thakhuli said, “A due selection process was followed and Phillips came out tops. He has been with SANParks for over 10 years.
The position of managing executive of KNP has been vacant since April 2014 with Mr Danie Pienaar acting in the position. Pienaar will return to his full-time position of general manager of scientific services.
One of the previous managing executives of the Kruger from the late ’80s, Dr Salomon Joubert said, “I wish Glenn well in his new role.” In this respect Joubert admitted that he had been surprised by Phillips’ appointment as he considered his current position more powerful. He is SANParks’ main strategist. “This concern also arose from the appointment of Ms Joanne-Yawitch, the CEO of the National Business Initiative, as the new chairman of the SANParks board,” he added.
The former managing executive, Mr Abe Sibiya, also wished Phillips well on this new endeavour: “This is a very challenging position with a lot of very complex issues. The KNP is very important to our whole region and it brings a lot of people and business to the area. It cannot fail.”
His greatest challenge will be to focus on delivering the benefits to the communities around the KNP, Phillips told Lowvelder. “I am talking about real benefits, socially and financially. That and taking the scourge of rhino poaching head on!” Phillips hopes to move into his new home in Skukuza no later than
June 1.