Jenny GRAY

Jenny Gray has been Chief Executive Officer of Zoos Victoria since 2007, leading its transformation into one of the world’s most respected zoo-based conservation organisations. Under her leadership, Zoos Victoria—comprising Melbourne Zoo, Healesville Sanctuary, and Werribee Open Range Zoo—has become a mission-driven institution dedicated to fighting extinction through captive breeding, research, habitat protection, and community mobilisation. Zoos Victoria now leads recovery programs for 27 threatened species, from the Helmeted Honeyeater to the Baw Baw Frog, combining scientific expertise with practical action in the field. Jenny has pioneered innovative behaviour change campaigns that empower millions of people to take meaningful steps for wildlife, from reducing plastics to demanding sustainable palm oil.  On the global stage, Jenny has served as President of the World Association of Zoos and Aquariums and is part of the leadership team driving Reverse the Red, a bold movement to change conservation planning and deliver measurable success in reversing species decline. An engineer with an MBA and a PhD in ethics, Jenny brings strategic, scientific, and moral clarity to her role. Her legacy is a transformed Zoos Victoria: globally respected, ethically grounded, and relentless in its mission to fight extinction.