Robin B. Friday, Sr.

Robin Friday is the founder of Wildlife International Network and serves as the Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer of Ocean Embassy, Inc. and Wildlife International Network, Inc.

Beginning his marine mammal experience at the SeaWorld parks, Robin Friday held positions as Curator and Director of the Animal Training, Aviculture, and Animal Care departments over a period of 18 years. He also led the development of Discovery Cove, Orlando (a $121 US million dollar dolphin interaction facility built by Busch Entertainment Corp.). Following his SeaWorld tenure, Friday served as General Manager of Marineland Foundation, Inc., a 501©(3) corporation, where he designed and implemented a dolphin interaction program. As Project Manager for Ocean Futures Society (OFS - Jean-Michele Cousteau Institute) he led a special project team from 1998 to 2000 to rehabilitate Keiko the killer whale, of “Free Willy” fame. Milestones achieved while managing the Keiko project included: strategic reorganization of project objectives and organizational structure on site in Vestmannaeyjar, Iceland; construction of an 800 ft. barrier net across Klettsvik Bay, Iceland; development of regulatory and protocol guidelines which resulted in the Icelandic government awarding release permits to OFS; and completion of the world’s first successful open-ocean behavioral conditioning of a captive killer whale. Friday also managed the development of the world’s first marine mammal teaching hospital for the Marine Mammal Research and Conservation Department at Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute in Ft. Pierce, Florida, a $26 million expansion. Responsibilities included: implementing government regulatory requirements, overseeing operational budgets, staff management and support of the Southeast Stranding Network.