Our Team
Board of Trustees
Dato’ Seri Harry Cockrell is Co-Founder and Chairman of The Habitat Group. He is also the Founder of Pacific Tiger Group Limited, a privately-owned investment holding company headquartered in Hong Kong focused on the acquisition, financing, development and management of a wide range of businesses including real estate, hospitality, yacht chartering, bakery, food processing and distribution, packaging products and services, securities, multi-media services and web marketing, biotechnology /medical technology, and information technology.
Dato’ Sri Harry also sits on the Board of Wawasan Education Foundation as an Independent Non-Executive Director.
Under his leadership, The Habitat Group played a pivotal role in the application to the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) for the designation of the Penang Hill Biosphere Reserve (PHBR) under UNESCO’s Man and the Biosphere (MAB) Programme.
Executive Committee
Reza Cockrell is the co-founder and Chief Executive Officer of The Habitat Group. He is also the Group Managing Director of Pacific Tiger Group Limited (“PTG”), a privately-owned investment holding company headquartered in Hong Kong focused on the acquisition, financing, development and management of a wide range of businesses and assets in the Asia Pacific Region and beyond.
Danny Chua is the Group Managing Director of The Habitat Group. He is also on the executive committee of The Habitat Foundation. He is to lead the expansion of the group by leveraging the successful experiences of The Habitat Penang Hill and The Habitat Foundation to other nature-culture-based tourism locations and expeditions around the country and the region, with environmental education, nature conservation, and sustainability firmly at its core.
Prior to joining The Habitat Group, Danny was the Chief Commercial Officer of TNG Digital, which operates the industry-leading Touch n Go eWallet. He co-founded and co-chaired the ESG council for Touch n Go Group during his time there and leveraged the ecosystem and platform of the organisation to bring accessibility, literacy, and sustained financial inclusion to the masses of underserved individuals.
He is on the board of trustees of Yayasan Hijau Malaysia, as well as a fellow of the Acumen Fellowship, a worldwide cohort of leaders working on social change.
Meet the Team
Management
Justine has led the Foundation since its establishment in 2017. She is responsible for setting the strategic direction and priorities of the organisation in close consultation with the Board of Trustees and Executive Committee. A geographer by training, she has degrees in Geographical and Environmental Studies and Human Geography from the University of Adelaide with a particular focus on community-based conservation, and environmental and social justice. Justine has over 25 years of experience as a conservation practitioner working in both urban and rural contexts in Malaysian Borneo and Peninsular Malaysia. Other areas of expertise include environmental policy, community-conserved areas, protected area management, and sustainable financing for PAs. She is a commissioned member of the IUCN World Commission on Protected Areas.
Ahmad Zafir is the Programme Director of The Habitat Foundation and oversees the organisation’s conservation, research, education, and training components. A conservation biologist by training, and an experienced practitioner, he has spent the last 20 years working on wildlife conservation, particularly in relation to threats and challenges facing large mammals. His Master’s in Environmental Management focussed on wildlife management in protected areas, while his doctoral research dealt with understanding elephant behaviour in the Central Forest Spine of Peninsular Malaysia with the intention of mitigating negative human-wildlife interactions. Dr Ahmad has a keen interest in interdisciplinary and intersectoral approaches to conservation which is a philosophy that underlines the Habitat’s approach to all its programmes and initiatives.
Administration
Cassie is the Head of Administration at The Habitat Foundation and has been with the foundation since its establishment in 2017. She is responsible for all administrative matters and human resource management. Cassie holds a degree in Business Management from Nottingham Trent University, United Kingdom. Her first project at The Habitat Foundation was to plan, organise, and coordinate the Penang Hill BioBlitz 2017 with other stakeholders to document the biodiversity of Penang Hill.
Farhana serves as the Administration Assistant at The Habitat Foundation, ensuring smooth and efficient office operations. She provides comprehensive clerical and administrative support to the THF team. Farhana holds a degree in Social Sciences from Universiti Sains Malaysia and brings a strong organisational skill set to her role. She is dedicated to utilising her expertise to support The Habitat Foundation’s conservation initiatives by streamlining administrative processes and contributing to the overall success of THF’s mission.
Managers
Mariam serves as the Senior Programme Manager at The Habitat Foundation, overseeing key initiatives such as the Al-Sultan Abdullah Royal Tiger Reserve and Sustainable Tourism Network Malaysia. With a Bachelor’s Degree in Sociology focused on Social Justice and Social Change from the University of Victoria, she views conservation as a practice that intersects both sociological and environmental issues. After a decade in Canada, she traded in winter coats for t-shirts and returned to Malaysia, rediscovering her love for tropical rainforests and finding a renewed sense of purpose. Bringing over 8 years of experience in non-profit communications, Mariam has successfully raised millions for charities across Canada and led ASEAN-wide awareness initiatives on sustainable peatland use and haze mitigation (EU-SUPA). Currently, she is dedicated to leading impactful environmental and community-focused projects that protect critical landscapes and drive meaningful social change.
Naven is the Programme Manager for the Foundation and is responsible for overseeing all aspects of the Foundation’s Grants Programme, which involves administering a professionally managed and well-governed system for disbursing funding to deserving grantees and beneficiaries in alignment with the Foundation’s values and pillars. In addition to that, Naven plays a crucial role in handling all of the Foundation’s partnerships, collaborations, and special projects, ensuring that every single project and activity is running smoothly and communicated effectively. Naven graduated from Universiti Sains Malaysia with a Bachelor’s degree in Aquatic Biology. In his previous role with the Penang State Government, he coordinated environment-related events aligned with the Penang Green Agenda 2030 and sustainability strategies for Penang. He remains deeply committed to working towards sustainability-driven strategies to overcome current and future environmental challenges in Malaysia.
Lingeshwarry is the Education Programme Manager for The Habitat Foundation and is responsible for managing the Foundation’s education pillar. A botanist by training, she graduated from University Malaysia Sarawak with a degree in Plant Science and Resource Management. Her childhood passion for nature has evolved into an impactful career in environmental education and community engagement. Since she joined The Habitat Group in 2018, she has been closely involved in designing and innovating educational curricula and activities for students of all ages and strengthening collaboration with educationists in our Good Grounding Network. She works closely with government agencies, local institutions, and community groups to optimise learning about conservation and sustainability in conjunction with the Penang Hill Biosphere Reserve (PHBR).
Team Leads
Ethan is the Conservation and Sustainability Team Lead for The Habitat Foundation. An experienced zoologist, Ethan supports projects and foundation initiatives that deal with biodiversity research, conservation biology, regenerative agriculture, habitat restoration and innovations for sustainability. In addition to providing assistance with facilitation and stakeholder engagement, he also assists with spatial analysis and imaging, project documentation and communication through photography and videography. Ethan holds a Bachelor’s degree from the University of Otago, New Zealand and a Master’s degree based on his research on the Agile Gibbon (Hylobates agilis) population within Ulu Muda Forest Reserve, Kedah. He is a board member of the Malaysian Primatological Society. Outside of work, he spends time on his urban farm, which is a proving ground for sustainability systems, waste reduction, and food self-sufficiency.
As the Community Engagement Team Lead with the Foundation, Uzeir is closely involved in facilitating environmental conservation and education programmes that have a strong social component both in Penang and beyond. Uzeir has a Degree in Zoology from University Sains Malaysia and enjoys sparking public interest in nature and the need to adopt more sustainable lifestyles. In his previous role as an Environmental Education and Outreach Officer for the Penang State Government, he was closely engaged in running activities with community groups and NGOs to bridge the gap to create more sustainable communities. He is currently closely involved in project initiatives undertaken with local stakeholders and at nature gateways to the Penang Hill Biosphere Reserve. He is also supporting a major project with Universiti Teknologi PETRONAS to introduce appropriate sewage treatment technology to manage tourism-related water pollution in Temenggor Lake.
Programme Team
Amir is part of the Foundation’s communications team and is responsible for enhancing the visibility of the work being undertaken by project grant recipients and foundation-led initiatives led by the team. Amir is particularly skilled at project documentation using photography, drone imaging, and videography. An aspiring environmental filmmaker and storyteller, he strives to bring alive the wonders of nature in Malaysia together with the people and communities who are an essential part of this story. Amir has a Bachelor’s Degree in Bioresource Research (Sustainable Ecosystems) from Oregon State University. In 2022, he was selected to participate in the Young ASEAN Storytellers programme by ASEAN Center for Biodiversity and his finished work filmed in Ulu Tembeling, Pahang is exhibited virtually on that platform. More recently, he has been involved in photographing and filming the natural and cultural heritage of Wang Kelian in Perlis for a book and documentary project led by Roots and Shoots Malaysia.
Rong is an experienced communicator who is passionate about advocating for nature conservation through storytelling. He manages the Foundation’s social media campaigns and online presence to enable environmental messages and stories from our projects and programmes to reach a wider audience. Rong has a background in zoology and completed his Bachelor’s Degree at Universiti Sains Malaysia. He is able to leverage off his fluency in Mandarin to develop compelling environmental education and science communication for the Chinese-speaking community. He has helped to translate The Habitat Academy Environmental Literacy Course and deliver the course successfully in Mandarin. In close collaboration with Galeri Mandarin by RTM TV2, Rong helped produce and narrate a series of episodes featuring Foundation-funded projects and initiatives. With previous work experience in broadcasting, he ran a three-month nature-focussed podcast on Mandarin web radio.
Yohanna is currently involved in the Sustainable Tourism Malaysia and Al-Sultan Abdullah Royal Tiger Reserve projects, where she oversees communication and community engagement efforts. She is also involved in developing and executing social media campaigns to reach wider audiences and tell compelling stories from the field.
With a background in Drama and Education, she brings storytelling into the heart of her strategy, crafting narratives that connect people to place. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Anthropology and Sociology from Universiti Malaya (UM), and is deeply passionate about the cultural relationships between communities and nature.
Outside of work, Yohanna is an avid gardener and traveller—always eager to get her hands dirty or explore the forgotten corners of old buildings from times past.
Zikry currently supports the Foundation’s sustainable tourism initiatives across several captivating landscapes in Malaysia under the Sustainable Tourism Network Malaysia. In this role, he explores the exciting potential of curating, strengthening, and raising the visibility of Malaysia’s nature and community-based tourism offerings. He believes that sustainable tourism is a powerful tool to preserve not only natural landscapes and their biodiversity but also the cultural heritage and well-being of the communities who call these places home.
Trained as a wildlife biologist, Zikry spent two years managing conservation projects with Xploregaia, focusing on conserving vital and endangered rainforest seed dispersers, hornbills and large flying foxes (Pteropus vampyrus) with the aid of traditional knowledge and involvement of local and indigenous individuals. In this capacity, he contributed to the establishment of Malaysia’s inaugural National Hornbill Day in 2024 and played a role in developing the forthcoming 10-year Sabah Hornbill Action Plan, a strategic document to guide hornbill conservation efforts across the state.
On weekends, Zikry can be found wrangling snakes, spotting birds, or diving into literature on the natural histories of Southeast Asia’s most enigmatic wildlife.
Nadhirah, a Programme Executive in Education at The Habitat Foundation, is responsible for facilitating educational programs within The Habitat Penang Hill and in collaboration with The Penang Hill Biosphere Reserve, fostering connections for students to deepen their understanding of nature. With a bachelor’s degree in Biology from Universiti Sains Malaysia, specialising in botany, she has accumulated extensive agricultural and research experience through diverse projects and internships. Her contributions to the Innovation of The Mushroom House project, support for local farmers through educational outreach, and termite research reflect her commitment to enhancing the natural world.
Irdina is the Program Executive in Education at The Habitat Foundation, working on educational programmes and facilitating meaningful gap-year experiences. She holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Marine Biology from Universiti Malaysia Terengganu, specialising in coral reef fish biodiversity research in Pulau Redang Marine Park. Irdina has been actively involved in various hands-on marine conservation fieldworks, awareness, and research, particularly in ocean literacy and sea turtle conservation with SEATRU. Other than her work, she is also actively involved in youth-led environmental advocacy through her volunteer work with YUFE in science communication.
As part of the Foundation’s communications team, Hannah is dedicated to bridging the gap between science and public understanding. With a background in English Language and Communication from UCSI University, she transforms complex research and technical information into engaging, accessible content. Driven by a passion for conservation and a talent for storytelling, Hannah brings fresh, creative energy to the Foundation’s social media platforms—crafting content that not only informs but also sparks curiosity and inspires action across diverse audiences.
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