After ten years serving on the board of trustees at the Gorilla Organization, Stanley Johnson has stepped down as Chairman.Since taking on the position of Chairman, the globally-respected conservationist, journalist, author and adventurer has worked tirelessly to champion the cause of gorilla conservation and habitat protection. Alongside his writing and advocacy work, he also recently climbed Mount Kilimanjaro in aid of the Gorilla Organization, an accomplishment he credited with being one of the proudest moments of his life.

Stanley officially stepped down at the winter 2012 meeting of the Gorilla Organization board. As well as receiving the sincere thanks of both his fellow board members and executive director Jillian Miller, she presented him with an original watercolour painting of the silverback eastern lowland gorilla Chimanuka (pictured right), Stanley's favourite gorilla.

Addressing the board, Stanley said: "I'm so grateful to have been given the honour to serve as Chairman of the Gorilla Organization for all these years. I wish my successor all the best in the role and have the greatest confidence that the Gorilla Organization has a bright future ahead of it."

Ian Redmond OBE will now serve as the Gorilla Organization's Chairman. The primatologist comes into the role with many years experience of working on the forefront of great ape conservation. In the 1970s, Ian worked alongside Dr Dian Fossey in Rwanda while more recently he has served as the great apes' ambassador to the United Nations Environment Programme.