Past Frontier Volunteers: Where Are They Now?

Frontier volunteers are a special bunch of people. Whether you've been away with us in the past, heading on a project in the future, or you're currently out there enjoying one of our many amazing trips, you've all got a story to tell. In 'Where Are They Now', we speak to past volunteers who are now involved in amazing and inspirational roles that we think you might find interesting. The question is, where will your Frontier project take you?

Today we speak to Matt Willson, who back in 1998 volunteered with Frontier on our ever-popular Tanzania Marine Project.

How did you get involved with Frontier?

Matt: I joined Frontier initially as a volunteer Research Assistant in Tanzania in early 1998, conducting coral reef, inter-tidal and seagrass biodiversity surveys in Mnazi Bay, close to the border with Mozambique. I volunteered with Frontier specifically as I was keen to pursue an environmental career.

What was your first position with Frontier?

Matt: After volunteering I subsequently took on the Country Co-ordinator post in Dar es Salaam (Tanzania’s main city) co-ordinating logistics, finances and personnel across field projects in marine, forest and savanna eco-regions across the country.

Which other positions have you had in this field?

Matt: Several months after returning from Tanzania, I was recruited to a biodiversity research programme in Vietnam as Logistics Manager. Returning to work in the London office as a Research Assistant Co-ordinator, I progressed to the Operations Manager role with responsibility for WWF’s programme operations globally, and finally to Programmes Manager. The latter role involved developing new initiatives including setting up conservation programmes in Cambodia and Nicaragua, and developing a schools expedition programme – requiring extensive travel to remote regions.

What was it like to work in the field?

Matt: I loved it. Often it was hard at first – in particular getting used to challenging work under tough conditions with high levels of responsibility and accountability – but it didn’t take long to start to enjoy the different pace of life, the diverse working days, the incredible local people and wildlife, and the special moments that inevitably occur in that sort of environment.

What did you gain from working with Frontier?

Matt: I learnt to deal with and manage adverse situations with limited resources and back-up. Volunteering and working in the field requires a high level of resourcefulness and self-motivation. Everything I have done since I have found easier thanks partly to the challenging and adventurous years I spent with Frontier.

What did you do after working for Frontier?

Matt: I decided to seek experience in aid programmes and as such was recruited by MAG, a humanitarian demining agency, as a Project Co-ordinator for the Middle East, liaising with staff on mine and unexploded bomb clearance projects in Cyprus, Iraq and Lebanon – which inevitably involved a rather exciting but unnerving visit to Baghdad and northern Iraq, including of course pacing through cleared minefields.

Beyond this I joined the Zoological Society of London initially seeking funding from the public sector for the development of a new showcase aquarium in East London, followed by a stint representing ZSL on the project.  

You are now working for WWF, the global conservation organisation. What do you do and where do you work?

Matt: I lead WWF’s business partnerships team in Australia, which includes strategic private sector partnerships, business engagement and communications, and corporate fundraising. I work closely with WWF’s conservation team to seek out strategic business alliances with retailers, brands and manufacturers to help catalyse the shift to sustainable supply chains - for high impact commodities like palm oil, timber, beef, seafood and sugarcane - and reduce the impacts of doing business.

Have you always wanted to work abroad?

Matt: Yes. I was inspired from an early age by my parents who took my brothers and I all over Europe camping – often without a plan. Following a year of running a small English school on an island off the Caribbean coast of Honduras before university, I knew working overseas was going to be a theme throughout my life.

How is life in Sydney? What do you do in your spare-time?

Matt: I have to say life in Sydney is rather good – we have a small apartment on one of the bays on Sydney Harbour with views of the water and yachts down below, and travel to work by ferry across the Harbour past the famous Opera House and the ‘coat-hanger’. At weekends we kayak, run through the bush along the harbour’s foreshore, or swim at sandy beaches, a brief cycle ride away. Sydney is surrounded by national parks so there are plenty of opportunities for adventure racing, mountain-biking and off-road running or hiking.

Do you have plans to move back to the UK? Do you miss it?

Matt: Yes, we plan to head home at some point, but not permanently. I miss the important things – family, friends, pubs, the unique sense of humour, beautiful countryside, and the cultural and artistic diversity. Living overseas always involves some sort of compromise - the further away and the longer, the bigger the compromise.

Do you have a degree. If so, what in?

Matt: I studied Economics and International Studies at the University of Warwick, and am currently in the final stages of an MBA at Imperial College London. I’m pleased now to be working in a role which harnesses my passion for the environment whilst utilising my academic interests.

What advice would you have for people looking for a career in the environment/conservation sector?

Matt: Volunteering or interning with a conservation or environmental organisation with a good reputation is essential to distinguishing yourself from the rest. Demonstrating some experience of overseas (or UK) field work and also management and administration in a head office – ideally in more than one organisation – will provide you with a great foundation at least to be considered. Don’t rely on luck or just your degree – you won’t be the only one doing the same!

Frontier offer a wide variety of ways for you to kick start your career in the conservation and environment sector. Whether you want to volunteer abroad, earn yourself a qualification (PADI, BTEC, TEFL) complete an overseas internship or work in our London HQ, there's sure to be something that suits you.

By Alex Prior