Kurt Steiner serves as Director of Programs at Akashinga, bringing over 15 years of experience in conservation law enforcement across Africa. A former infantry soldier in the Australian military, Kurt transitioned to conservation in 2009 and has since become a widely respected leader in counter-poaching strategy, ranger training, and protected area operations.

Kurt was the first Head of Law Enforcement for African Parks Network, where he led the development of standardized counter-poaching practices across projects in eight countries and built a professional law enforcement cadre of more than 1,000 rangers. He later served as Africa Representative for the Wildcat Foundation, overseeing a $20 million portfolio of grants focused on wildlife protection and counter-trafficking efforts.

With a Master’s in Intelligence and Security Studies, Kurt combines operational experience with strategic insight to support frontline conservation. His work has been widely published in conservation and security journals, and he continues to provide technical guidance to global conservation partners. At Akashinga, he leads programme development and implementation across the organisation’s areas of operation.