Meet our team

Gloria Davies has worked in animal welfare for nearly 50 years. She is Chief Executive of Network for Animals and Animal Survival International. Gloria was born in Brooklyn, New York, and is of Italian heritage. When she was 22, she was working at the Cousteau Society, a marine conservation society in Manhattan, when Brian Davies visited the office on business. It was love at first sight; they married on January 2, 1981 and worked together helping animals until Brian’s death in December 2022. 

David Barritt, is our Executive Director, has worked in animal welfare for 30 years. He established the International Fund for Animal Welfare’s (IFAW) South African office before becoming IFAW’s Africa director. After a break running a successful public relations company, he joined NFA in 2014. He was made executive director in 2019, overseeing all our activities. He is based in South Africa and Greece.

Based in Greece, Katherine, our chief financial officer, is a chartered accountant and part of the senior management of Network for Animals (NFA). She monitors every cent that goes in and out of the organization and is famous for being extremely strict! However, when it comes to helping animals, suddenly the budget becomes a lot more flexible!

Luke is our Campaign Director. He oversees all campaign activities and the development of new projects in 26 countries in Africa, Europe, and North America. He says that treating animals and the environment with kindness and respect was instilled in him from birth. He grew up in South Africa and as a child, his animal activist father took him on trips to Africa’s remotest regions to help animals. These trips laid the basis for Luke’s lifelong mission to improve the welfare of animals.

Debby is an experienced writer and campaigner for animals, both in her personal capacity and in her work for Network for Animals and Animal Survival International. She also manages the ASI team. Debby is a firm believer in doing no harm to any creature, no matter how great or small, as every living thing on the planet serves a purpose and deserves compassion and respect. This is a dream job for Debby, and she loves spending her days surrounded by like-minded people and beautiful animals. Outside of the office, her passions are her pets, the outdoors, and fostering animals.

Taylor Kirkby serves as the Production Manager at Network for Animals (NFA) and Animal Survival International (ASI). In her role, she manages the creation of website content and email newsletters, ensuring they engage and inform supporters effectively. Beyond her professional duties, Taylor's heart belongs to her mysterious black cat, Ash, and she's an enthusiastic explorer of Cape Town's captivating landscapes, reflecting her passion for animal welfare and an adventurous spirit that enriches both her personal and professional life. Taylor's creativity, dedication, and love for animals make her an invaluable member of our team.

Hailing from a family of conservationists and with a background in molecular biology, Kendal is our production and photo editor. Kendal spends most (all) of her free time wrangling badly behaved dogs and badly behaved toddlers. Her interests include chai lattes and obsessing over her own pack of four unruly hounds.

Byron Seale is our in-house video editor and videographer. He is responsible for the creation of short documentaries and social media videos, which are used to spread awareness about animal welfare issues.

Zara is our photo archivist and photo editor. Starting out as an intern with dreams of making the world a better place for animals, Zara is responsible for keeping track of all our images and selecting pictures for appeals and social media. She says she feels very lucky to be a part of something so impactful worldwide for animals of all species and backgrounds.

She’s spent years volunteering for animal rescues, rehabilitating and releasing birds, raising abandoned kittens and more recently, learning the practice of equine physiotherapy and natural horsemanship training.

Shannon is a researcher and writer. She holds an Honours degree in Journalism and Media Studies. As both an ambitious storyteller and compassionate animal lover, Shannon feels very fortunate to have secured a job that merges two of her greatest passions into one. Shannon’s role involves researching animal welfare issues and potential campaigns, writing appeals and news items and liaising with partner organizations and shelters. When she’s not at work, Shannon can be found hiking, watching horror movies, reading, drinking red wine or daydreaming about how much she misses her black cat, Salem, back in her hometown.

Taryn is passionate about animal welfare. She coordinates meetings, travel arrangements, schedules and logistics, and she also works as a campaigner. Taryn is passionate about animal welfare and the preservation of our world for future generations. She says she feels honored to be a part of our dedicated team and hopes to one day live in a world where the unnecessary suffering of animals and the annihilation of living species is no longer a reality.

“Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.” – Margaret Mead

Fiona Sawney, is NFA’s Balkan campaign coordinator, based in Tivat, Montenegro. She works in Croatia, Montenegro, Serbia, and Bosnia and Herzegovina. Fiona has worked in animal welfare for 11 years and is the co-founder of Friends of Dogs of Montenegro. In partnership with Montenegrin group Korina, she has produced two animal welfare reports on local strategic actions and standards for municipal dog shelters.

Fiona has two master’s degrees in the fields of Public Health Promotion (Brunel University, graduated 1997) and Global Health Policy (London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, graduated 2021). She has many years of experience in nursing and public health, project management, budget management, volunteer community projects and training – both in the non-governmental and public sectors

Silvia is communications editor. She deals with hundreds of supporter emails each week and interacts with our social media community. She is a German-speaking Namibian who lives in Windhoek with her husband, four children, three cats, two dogs and Smokey, a quarter horse.

Agnieszka is Network for Animals’s company secretary, based in London, United Kingdom.

Justine is an executive assistant who manages a variety of tasks. A few of her favorite things are dancing, baking and reading. A lifelong ‘crazy cat lady,’ Justine lives in Cape Town, South Africa, with her husband and their clowder of cats.

Lisa-Mari was raised in South Africa and joined the NFA team as the UK fundraiser after relocating to Greece. With a background in public relations and a passion for helping animals her role at NFA is a perfect match.

Alissa is the Director of Leadership Gifts in the United States. She has a background in nonprofit fundraising and marketing, but believes all paths led her to Network for Animals, where she is able to combine her professional experience with her personal passion for animal welfare. Alissa lives in Boston, Massachusetts with her husband and her fur-baby Ollie, who is treated like the prince he thinks he is, since his human brother and sister are grown and now living on their own. Alissa loves speaking to our supporters who she truly considers a community of fellow animal lovers.

Mila, as the Social Media Manager for NFA, combines her love for animals with her digital marketing expertise. Through her creative content and strategic campaigns, she effectively bridges a global audience with the crucial missions of these organizations, igniting inspiration and rallying support for animals in need.

Monica is the webmaster at Network for Animals (NFA), based in Cape Town, South Africa. She shares her home with her husband, child, and four fur children. Her days are filled with coffee, relaxation on her couch, and the company of her dog, Kylo. Her passion for technology and love for animals make her a valuable member of our team.

Juggler of budgets, personnel, schedules, logistics, creative personalities and client needs.
A hater of waste and litterbugs.

With a keen eye for detail and exceptional organizational skills, Marlene plays a pivotal role in supporting key leadership figures within the organization. Marlene brings a wealth of administrative experience and a commitment to excellence, making her an indispensable asset to the NFA team.