Jennifer GEORGE

Jennifer George is an accomplished cross-sector leader with a background spanning government, law, education, Indigenous partnerships, corporate development, and the non-profit sector. As Chief Executive of the East Asian–Australasian Flyway Partnership Secretariat, she leads multilateral collaboration protecting migratory waterbirds and their habitats across 22 countries to implement the EAAFP Strategic Plan across the Flyway in a time of urgent global need. 

Jennifer previously held senior roles in the New Zealand Government, including at the Ministry for the Environment in the Secretariat of the Climate Change Chief Executives Board, supporting high-level governance coordination. She has also worked in justice, education, and local government, and has advised Crown Entities on best-practice governance frameworks. A long-time advocate for inclusive and culturally grounded approaches, she has worked alongside Māori communities to drive social impact initiatives. In recognition of her leadership in global wetland cooperation, Jennifer was named one of the 2025 Women Changemakers in the World of Wetlands for fostering international collaboration. She currently also serves as a Visiting Professor at Beijing Forestry University. 

Her leadership is defined by empathy, systems thinking, and the ability to unite diverse stakeholders. She brings a bold and collaborative vision to achieving biodiversity outcomes on a regional and global scale. At EAAFP, she focuses on connecting wetlands, people, and institutions to deliver nature-positive outcomes across climate, biodiversity, and sustainable development agendas.