Meet John Roberts | Speaker

John Roberts is Group Director of Sustainability and Conservation for Minor Hotels and one of the hospitality industry’s most experienced voices in ethical wildlife tourism and biodiversity protection. With a background in conservation, John joined Minor Hotels in 2003, when the group was still comparatively small, to help establish and oversee an elephant camp in Thailand’s Golden Triangle – a role that would shape the direction of his career and the group’s long-term sustainability strategy.

Since 2006, John has managed the Golden Triangle Asian Elephant Foundation, leading its work in the conservation of wild elephants and the welfare of captive elephants. Under his guidance, the Foundation has developed an internationally respected model rooted in science-based welfare standards, lifelong care, community engagement and long-term funding through responsible tourism. His approach prioritises coexistence between people, wildlife and landscapes, and rejects short-term or exploitative tourism practices in favour of meaningful, ethical alternatives.

Over the past two decades, John’s role has evolved alongside the industry itself. He has helped Minor Hotels embed sustainability, animal welfare and biodiversity protection into its operations globally, supporting initiatives ranging from rainforest conservation concessions to community education programmes and human–wildlife conflict mitigation. Today, he focuses on strategy, governance and ensuring that sustainability is understood not as an add-on, but as an essential component of good hospitality.