Ron is currently an advisory partner at Oaktree Capital Management, LP, and previously co-managed Oaktree’s private equity investment portfolios. He serves as the President of the Board of The New York City Ballet, and is a member of the boards of Lincoln Center and the American Associates of the National Theatre. Ron is also an avid sportsman who travels extensively throughout Europe and the Americas.
Ron, his wife Cynthia, and their five children divide their time between homes in Water Mill, New York and Pienza, Italy.
Why did you take on the President of the GCUSA role?
My wife and I lived in London for four years in the mid-1980s, and ever since our residency we have greatly enjoyed extensive travels throughout the U.K. As a result of those explorations, combined with our keen interests in outdoor activities, I developed a deep appreciation for the unique qualities of the British countryside. While the U.K.’s natural resources are, of course, magnificent and deserve the thoughtful conservation that GWCT and GCUSA champions, the work of GWCT is relevant to wildlife and habitat conservation globally.
Where do you see GCUSA in 10 years time?
I hope to accelerate the growth of interest in the GWCT research and conservation work so capably initiated by my predecessors. There are many opportunities for regional expansion of GCUSA, particularly by promoting the continued exchange of scientific research.
Why is the work of GWCT important? How does its work affect issues in the U.S.?
The challenges facing wildlife and habitat conservationists in the U.K. are global in their ramifications. Because of the rapid and historically recent rate of change to land use in the U.K., there is an advanced awareness of how quickly local environmental changes can impact both native and global species. While the U.S. may have a greater abundance of natural resources, they are also finite. GWCT’s long-term research projects and development of land management best practices will become increasingly relevant.
What do you think are the main challenges for the future?
The main challenge is simple: getting people to care. Education and effective communication are critical. Today, everyone is bombarded with increasing quantities of information through expanding media, which poses a formidable challenge to conveying one’s message. At the same time, the ever-increasing availability and accessibility of good information is a benefit that can be leveraged.
What is the best advice you have received?
I had a discussion in the early 1990s with Dr. William Conway, who was then the president of the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) in New York City. I asked him whether the goals of WCS were at odds with those of Ducks Unlimited, and he related that that Ducks Unlimited had likely preserved more wildlife habitat in the US than any governmental body or NGO in history. It resonated with me that both the preservation of habitat and wildlife management are ultimately of great benefit to all of us who enjoy the countryside anywhere in the world.
Can you give your reasons why people should join GWCT/GCUSA.
The money raised by GCUSA since its inception 33 years ago has supported GWCT’s long-term research initiatives, particularly grey partridge recovery efforts. GCUSA is GWCT’s exclusive U.S. affiliate and serves both to fundraise and promote conservation education and awareness in the U.S.
GWCT has proven an effective steward of the funds raised, inasmuch as the research has been carefully and thoughtfully applied, practical in its approach, and most importantly, successful. It is well known that grey partridge populations have recovered from what appeared to be an inevitable road to extinction, thanks to the efforts of GWCT. There are many other such success stories over the past 30 years, and more we hope to come!