Dr. Harald M. Schwammer, born 1955, is zoologist and Deputy Director at the Schoenbrunn Zoo in Vienna (Austria). He is specialised in breeding and caring for elephants and teaching management methods.  He also performed and organised training workshops in Europe and Asia in many different countries.

Harald is the founder and president of EEKMA (European Elephant Keeper and Manager Association); A Member of the Board of Directors of the IEF (International Elephant Foundation); Founder of the ASERC (Austrian Sri Lankan Elephant Research & Conservation Project); and the Chair of the GEMP (Global Elephant Management Program) and Co-Chair of the African elephant studbook.

He has been active as consultant (legal accredited expert) for facility planning and realising management routines for elephants under human care in nearly all continents.  He is author of numerous scientific and popular publications in ethological, ecological fields of study, concerning various topics and has published books in German, English, French and Croatian language. Harald is doing lectureships on the University of Vienna and also involved in developing, coordinating and supporting various in-situ projects in Europe, Africa and Asia.

Dr. Parntep Ratanakorn is an Associate Professor and also a Director in the Monitoring and Surveillance Center for Zoonotic Disease on Wildlife and Exotic Animal (MoZWE).  He has gained his Masteral in Pathobiology at Mahidol University in the year 1980.  From this year till to-date, he is a Referral Avian and Exotic Pet Veterinary Practitioner in a private clinic.  He has also been the President of the Veterinary Practitioner Association of Thailand (VPAT) from 1994 – 1998.  After that, he became an editor of VPAT Journal.  His involvement in different organizations is truly admirable since until today he is still active.  Among his memberships are : He is one of the Executive Board of VPAT, Executive Board Member of Zoological Park Organization under Royal Patronage and an Executive Board Member of the Veterinary Council of Thailand.  He is not only active socially but also, he is active with regards to writing and involvement in the Veterinary World.  He has 13 publications and has released 7 books.  The Director of MoZWE and the Chairman Elect of FASAVA, he is Dr. Parntep Ratanakorn.

     Deborah Olson is the Executive Director of the International Elephant Foundation which provides funds and expertise to support elephant conservation programs worldwide, and has been directing the Indianapolis Zoo’s elephant reproduction research program since 1988. Project successes include the modification of the human Coat-a-Count kit to measure elephant progesterone, discovering the two LH surges in African elephants, partnering on the development of the LH ELISA assay, and directing the Zoo’s research that produced the first and second African elephant calves through artificial insemination. Current research includes semen cryopreservation and sperm sorting studies. Deborah is the African elephant studbook keeper, Editor of the Elephant Husbandry Resource Guide, and past Editor of the Journal of the Elephant Managers Association.