About Us
“Our founding desire was to expose people to the wonders of Antarctica, engaging them with it and thereby promoting a desire in them to protect it. It’s wonderful to now see this is extending out to a broader mission.”
Patrick Woodhead, White Desert Founder
The Foundation continues the pioneering spirit of White Desert. Climate Change is a big, difficult conversation, but one we must have.
The Foundation will utilise White Desert’s extensive infrastructure to support scientific research in Antarctica, as well as provide monetary grants to projects combatting climate change further afield; it will also develop a guest education programme that champions Antarctica and global environmental stewardship.
The aspiration is that all of these actions will come together to engender positive change – not just in Antarctica, but globally.
Whilst Climate Change didn’t start in Antarctica, nor will it be solved there, it is on the sharp end of visible change and we all need to do our part to recognise our contribution and influence as global citizens.
Our Purpose: To progress climate change action through scientific research, Blue Carbon projects and education.
Board of Trustees
Simon Russell
Chair
Simon Russell
With 25 years of experience in banking and leveraged finance, Simon has pioneered innovative financial solutions to tackle environmental challenges. Throughout his career at JPMorgan, Credit Suisse, and now as a Managing Director at Standard Chartered, Simon has worked on ground breaking initiatives like the Rhino Bond in Southern Africa and the Blue Bond in Belize, which support wildlife conservation and ocean sustainability.
Passionate about Africa and the oceans, Simon regularly surfs along the coast of West Africa, combining his love for nature with his professional mission. As a father of four, he is deeply invested in creating a sustainable future and actively supports entrepreneurs driving environmental change. His leadership embodies a commitment to harnessing finance as a tool for addressing the most pressing climate and environmental issues of our time.
Patrick Woodhead
White Desert Founder & CEO
Patrick Woodhead
White Desert Founder & CEO
Having been part of the youngest and fastest team to ever reach the South Pole in 2002, Patrick went on to lead the first ever, record-breaking East to West traverse of Antarctica, covering 1850km in a total of 75 days. Whilst on there, Patrick became obsessed with the beauty of the interior of Antarctica and in 2005 established White Desert. Environmental concerns have always been of central importance to his work in Antarctica.
Outside of the Polar World, Patrick has been on many successful expeditions, summiting unclimbed mountains in Tibet and Kyrgyzstan, kayaking down uncharted rivers in the Amazon and being part of the team to set the fastest crossing of the Atlantic Ocean. In 2015, he also broke the record for the fastest traverse of Greenland.
Author of 4 bestselling books, Patrick is an enthusiastic but amateur pilot and when not somewhere being cold, enjoys discovering the lesser-trodden areas of South Africa with his children.
Rebecca Warne
Foundation Director
Rebecca Warne
Rebecca has 25 years of experience in strategic and marketing roles. Starting life in a London ad agency she was schooled in big brand thinking. She came to Cape Town 20 years ago working for both major agencies, as well as the marketing manager of leading local brands.
To ensure she truly understood what it took to grow a brand and company, she launched her own and grew it with great success of a 3 year period. While at Ogilvy SA she led “Ogilvy Earth” which focused on supporting NGOs, environmental businesses, and brands on their sustainability journey.
A passionate advocate of nature, environmental protection has always been at the heart of Rebecca’s search to understand the world we live in and how to live in it better, for the sake of our children’s children.
Eleni Antoniades
Environmental Scientist
Eleni Antoniades
Eleni is an environmental scientist with more than 20 years experience in Environmental Impact Assessment and Management of strategically significant aviation and infrastructure projects. She has experience in Antarctica, Cyprus, Greece and the UK.
She is currently Vice President of the Institution of Environmental Sciences where she has helped shape the organisation’s strategy since 2016 and establish the EIA Community.
She has worked with White Desert Since 2016. This role includes environmental impact assessment of all activities, establishing their environmental management system and plans, setting the Net Zero Strategy & Science Based Targets, managing the carbon monitoring and off-setting, as well as ensuring compliance with the Antarctic Protocol, permit requirements and policy inputs.
Recent achievements include the first use of Sustainable Aviation Fuel in Antarctica in 2021, winning Ministry of Defence Sustainable Project of the Year 2019 for RAF Marham Project Anvil. As well as being a commended finalist in the ENDS Environmental Impact Awards 2017 and Partnership of the Year for Wolf’s Fang Runway EIA.