Outdoor sporting pioneer, High Adventure Company CEO giving virtual talk Sept. 23

Auburn University will host a virtual talk with John Burrell, president and CEO of High Adventure Company and High Adventure Safaris, on Sept. 23 as part of the School of Forestry and Wildlife Sciences’ 75th Anniversary Celebration.

Burrell is the fifth speaker in the virtual “7 for 75 Speaker Series” as part of the school’s yearlong celebration, which began in the spring of 2021. As one of the most respected professionals in the outdoor industry, Burrell has 25 years of experience managing, developing and marketing sporting enterprises.

Renowned as an international outfitting expert, Burrell will discuss his diverse 25-year career as a guide, marketing pro, television host and owner of the award-winning High Adventure Company, which operates many of the world’s finest sporting properties.

In addition to winning the Garden & Gun Best of the Sporting South Award, High Adventure Company is the only six-time recipient of the Sporting Classics Award of Excellence. It has also been featured in Sporting Classics, Shooting Sportsman, The New York Times, Conde Nast Traveler, Garden & Gun, Men’s Journal and Southern Bride publications and on numerous outdoor industry television shows.

During his seminar, Burrell will also talk about his critical role to assist the School of Forestry and Wildlife Sciences in creating Auburn’s wildlife enterprise management degree, a talent pipeline for sporting industry leaders of the future.

“From the earliest discussions we had about the major, our faculty engaged with Mr. Burrell to learn about the necessary skills and knowledge required of employees within the outdoor sporting industry, including marketing and hospitality,” said Janaki Alavalapati, dean of the School of Forestry and Wildlife Sciences.

“Alumni and students interested in pursuing career opportunities within the outdoor industry will benefit from his expertise and diversity of professional experience.”

The talk is open to the public via Zoom from 2-3 p.m. CT at https://auburn.zoom.us/j/87232088648, and will be live-streamed via the school’s Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/ausfws/live/.

The “7 for 75 Speaker Series” features distinguished alumni and industry leaders representing an array of forestry, wildlife and natural resource fields and enterprises who will cover a wide range of topics, from land management to current and future technology to stakeholder engagement.

The next speaker in the series will be Nick Wiley ’86, chief operating officer of Ducks Unlimited. Wiley is a certified wildlife biologist with more than 35 years of experience in fish and wildlife management. His seminar will be held on Oct. 7 from 2-3 p.m. CT. More information is available on the website, sfws.auburn.edu.