BirdLife International announces new Chief Executive

BirdLife has announced the appointment of Patricia Zurita as the new Chief Executive of the BirdLife International Partnership.

Currently Executive Director of the Critical Ecosystems Partnership Fund (CEPF) and a Vice President of Conservation International, Patricia will begin her new role on 1 February, 2015.

“Patricia is an outstanding conservationist with a strong track record of delivering global scale conservation at a local level. It is this experience that makes her a perfect fit for taking on the leading role in the BirdLife Partnership”, said Khaled Irani, Chairman of BirdLife’s Global Council.

“Patricia joins the organisation at an exciting time and I am very pleased to be able to welcome her to the BirdLife family. Patricia's appointment as the first woman from the developing world to lead an international conservation organisation is a clear statement of what BirdLife is all about; a truly global vision for biodiversity conservation.”

Originally from Ecuador and currently based in the United States, Patricia has a well-established background in Natural Resource Economics and Management. She has worked across the globe developing economic initiatives and building civil society capacity, in partnership with both the non-profit and the business sectors. She takes a pragmatic approach to conservation that has delivered real results while working with and helping to develop civil society.

Her time with the Critical Ecosystems Partnership Fund has seen her lead their fundraising strategy and develop multi-million dollar strategic partnerships to consolidate and expand the existing work of the organisation. She leaves the CEPF in a strong position, delivering conservation across the world’s biodiversity hotspots.

“I am delighted to be taking on this new role as Chief Executive of BirdLife, leading the world’s largest civil society Partnership for nature and people. BirdLife is recognised throughout the world as a conservation leader and is the acknowledged authority on the world’s birds”, said Patricia Zurita.

“BirdLife's conservation reach is unparalleled and it makes me very proud to join a genuine local-to-global partnership that brings together 2700 Local Conservation Groups across some 120 territories. I strongly believe that global problems, like the biodiversity loss crisis, require local solutions, and the BirdLife Partnership embodies that strategy seeking for greater harmony, and a more equitable and sustainable future for all.”

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