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Steve Shallhorn, Chief Executive Officer

Steve Shallhorn, Chief Executive Officer

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Steve Shallhorn joined Greenpeace Australia Pacific in November 2005. While this is his first time living in Sydney, Steve is no stranger to the CEO's role. After all, he's worked all around the Greenpeace world.

While he is new to Sydney, Steve Shallhorn is no stranger to the role of CEO. After all, he's worked around the Greenpeace world, from Washington to London, Toronto and, most recently, Tokyo.

Steve joined Greenpeace Australia Pacific in November 2005, after serving as executive director of our Japanese office.

Steve's Greenpeace career began in 1987 as a disarmament campaigner for Greenpeace Canada. Since then, he has taken part in countless action on land and sea. In 1990, he led a ship expedition to the secret site of a nuclear weapons test conducted by the former Soviet Union. Steve was arrested during the expedition in a dramatic sequence of events that was broadcast around the world. And, while the Soviets went ahead with the nuclear tests, it was the last they ever did.

In 1993, Steve was involved in Greenpeace actions which led to a significant global treaty banning the dumping of nuclear waste at sea. A few years later, he was actively protecting the Great Bear Rainforest in British Columbia, Canada, from illegal logging and destruction.

How does his role today as Greenpeace Australia Pacific CEO compare to those early days of activism?

"I have the benefit of my skills and experience as a Greenpeace activist to bring to senior management. I have been in all sorts of campaign situations in many different countries. This allows me to anticipate campaign needs and ensure that the organisation is in the best position to support campaigns."

As CEO, Steve's job is to set goals for the organisation and ensure the Greenpeace team is always pulling in the same direction towards consistent and effective campaign outcomes. His ultimate aim is simple: "To make Greenpeace the most effective campaigning organisation this country, indeed the region, has ever seen."

And when Steve's not saving the planet or tackling routine CEO tasks, he's busy trying to learn the harmonica.

"The emphasis is on 'trying'," he laughs.