At the helm of ZSL is Chief Executive Officer, Kathryn England – the first woman to hold the role in the organisation's 200-year history, and a leader who has spent more than a decade building her expertise from within our science-led conservation organisation.
Kathryn's career spans veterinary nursing, wildlife health and senior operational leadership. Before joining ZSL, she served as Nursing Manager at the RSPCA's Harmsworth Hospital and Head Nurse at the Royal Veterinary College, before building her commercial expertise in the animal health pharmaceutical industry. Having most recently served as interim CEO, her appointment to the permanent role brings deep institutional knowledge, the trust of colleagues and supporters, and an unshakable dedication to our vision for a world where wildlife thrives.
Kathryn's background in veterinary care, wildlife health and operational leadership is central to our ongoing work as a science-driven conservation charity – inspiring, informing and empowering people to protect and restore wildlife in the UK and around the world.
In her role as Chief Executive Officer, Kathryn leads our endeavours protecting threatened species, restoring ecosystems and creating change for wildlife and people alike.
Sir Jim Smith, our Chair of Trustees, said: "In Kathryn, ZSL has a Chief Executive who knows this organisation profoundly, who has already earned the trust of colleagues, partners and supporters, and who has the technical background and strategic vision to lead it into the next exciting and important chapter.."
Kathryn concludes: "ZSL's people, its science, and its mission are genuinely world-class, and I am determined that we use this milestone year as a springboard to grow the impact we have in our conservation work, for the communities we engage, and for the wildlife we work to protect and restore."