A NEW chief executive has been appointed at Marwell Wildlife, the charity which runs Marwell Zoo.
Laura Read, who has 20 years of experience in leadership roles within the destination management, retail, hospitality and events sectors, is joining from Westquay Shopping Centre, where she is currently destination director.
She is also the chair of Southampton Forward, the city’s cultural trust, which aims to promote the region through festivals, events and tourism. She graduated from the University of Warwick with a BSc in Biological Sciences.
Laura will take up the position in March, replacing James Cretney. She said: “Marwell is somewhere I’ve been coming to since I was a child and in turn, somewhere I have brought my own children, so it is a special place for me.
READ MORE: Marwell zoo announces names of new animals born during the summer
“When I graduated, I wanted very much to work in the field of conservation but for many reasons, life took me in a different direction. Now, having the opportunity to combine a lifelong passion with my years of commercial experience in an organisation as regionally, nationally and internationally renowned as Marwell Wildlife is a dream come true.
“I am very much looking forward to applying my skills to grow and develop Marwell, both as a fantastic zoo experience for our visitors and also as a globally leading force in the preservation of biodiversity. I am so proud to be working for an organisation that has done so much to protect some of the planet’s most vulnerable species.”
In her spare time, Laura likes to travel with her family and witness conservation efforts throughout the world. Recent trips have included Panama, Guatemala and India.
Frank McCaffrey, chair of Marwell’s Board of Trustees, said: “We believe we are truly fortunate to be able to appoint someone of Laura’s calibre, vision, and passion to lead us in our continuing aim of developing the modern, pioneering, and progressive zoo for today’s changing planet.”
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here