Kristin L. Vehrs spent more than 40 years playing a key role in the growth and modernization of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA), retiring as executive director in 2020. Kristin’s work helped shape the complex regulations impacting zoos and aquariums in the USA and involved representing AZA before CITES, U.S. Congress, federal agencies, and government bodies.
Kristin L. Vehrs is current CEO of OAI Inc., a firm specializing in fisheries, oceans and marine wildlife issues. She holds both bachelor and law degrees, is a Species360 and WAZA board member and has advised the Latin American Zoo and Aquarium Association, the Mexican Association of Zoos and Aquariums, and the South Asia Zoo Association for Regional Cooperation, among others.
she received the Zoological Society of London’s Award for Outstanding Service to the Zoo Community; AZA’s highest recognition, the Marlin R. Perkins Award for Professional Excellence; and WAZA’s Heini Hediger Award – its highest professional recognition.

Dr Mark Penning is the Vice President: Animals, Science and Environment for Walt Disney Parks and Resorts, overseeing animal care and environmental initiatives at the company’s worldwide parks. His role includes oversight of the use of animals in film and television, from an animal welfare and story-telling perspective.
Mark is a qualified veterinarian with a special interest in wildlife, he has worked in private practice and has operated a wildlife immobilization and relocation business. He previously served as president of the World Association of Zoos and Aquariums (WAZA), and as CEO of the South African Association for Marine Biological Research (SAAMBR), a non-profit organzsation dedicated to marine research and conservation.

Laura is a seasoned executive with over 25 years in diverse C-Suite roles, guiding entities from small ventures to a national nonprofit with $180M revenue, and a global organization in 47 countries. Her expertise lies in executive development, team effectiveness, and driving strategic organizational impact. Passionate about wildlife, Laura serves on boards of two global conservation groups and advises two other conservation and animal welfare boards.

Having served as a volunteer, an advisory council member, and a board member for The Elephant Sanctuary in Tennessee, Janice Zeitlin joined The Sanctuary staff as Senior Management Coordinator and Board Liaison in 2012. The Board appointed Janice COO in 2013, responsible for day-to-day leadership and management, and in August 2014 appointed her CEO. Her leadership efforts have focused on establishing whole elephant care using best practices to meet the needs of aging elephants in captivity, evaluating and updating organization systems and structures for long-term sustainability, expanding education programming, and rebranding for increased awareness and understanding of conservation and welfare issues impacting elephants globally. With an MS degree and background in social work, Janice is a long-time active community volunteer and organizer with a deep passion for building collaborative relationships.

Todd, as General Manager leads Microsoft’s US Life Sciences and Medical Technology business. Prior to this role, he was responsible for Microsoft’s Consulting organization across State and Local Government, Education and Health and Life Sciences verticals.
With more than 20 years of executive experience in various companies, from startups to large corporations, he brings deep strategic and operational expertise to the Wild Wefare Board of Directors. Todd holds both a MS in Systems Architecture from the University of Southern California and a BS in Systems and Information Engineering from the University of Virginia.

Amrita Sahasrabudhe brings almost 20 years of leadership experience in marketing and customer experience strategy at mid to large corporations like PetSmart, Aramark & FastMed. Her diverse background spans retail, healthcare, hospitality, travel & tourism, media, manufacturing and consulting. Currently working as an independent consultant, Amrita leads business, marketing & customer experience strategy for her clients. To the board room, she brings her strengths in strategic planning, thought leadership, analytical measurement, CEO recruitment, fundraising strategy, scalable implementation and experience with mergers & acquisitions as well as joint ventures.

Amrita’s long-time passion in animal welfare and conservation coupled with her professional experience has lent her to volunteer her services as a Board of Director for McDowell Sonoran Conservancy and past-Chair on the Board of Arizona Animal Welfare League. She also plays advisory board roles for St Jude’s fundraising arm, ALSAC, and other startups and small businesses. Amrita has earned her MBA, preceded by a BA in Psychology with Honors as well as a post graduate degree in Advertising & Communications Management.

Dr David Jones is a veterinarian and zoologist by training and is Director Emeritus of the North Carolina Zoo, having run it for 22 years. He was previously CEO of the Zoological Society of London and has spent more than 50 years in the wildlife and zoo management field, working in more than 50 countries.
He is the past board chair of Environmental Defence Fund North Carolina, past chair of the equine welfare charity Brooke UK, and founder chairman of Brooke USA. David has been on the councils of both World Wildlife Fund U.S. and U.K. and is a former chairman of Fauna and Flora International.

Dave’s professional animal career began in 1981 at the Transvaal Snake Park; in 1991 he assumed the Director role. In 2000, he became Montecasino Bird Gardens’ CEO. Dave’s interest in the broader picture of African zoos led him to join the African Association of Zoos and Aquaria (PAAZAB) as their first Director (now Pan-African Association of Zoos and Aquaria). He represented PAAZAB within the World Association of Zoos and Aquariums (WAZA) and deepened his involvement serving on WAZA Council, as the Chair of WAZA Committee for Population Management, and on WAZA Committees for Conservation, and Ethics and Welfare. Dave’s diverse interests continued to drive him; he served on the International Species Information System (now Species360) Board, was a contributing author to both the WAZA Conservation Strategy, and the Zoo Animal Welfare Strategy, served on International Zoo Yearbook’s Editorial Board, and was a member of the Strategic Committee of the Conservation Planning Specialist Group of the Species Survival Commission of the IUCN.
Dave is an associate of the international zoo consultancy group, Bernard Harrison and Friends, and works on projects in Southeast Asia, China, South Asia, Africa, and the Persian Gulf region.
Dave’s dedication to animal welfare led him to a new venture – the founding of Wild Welfare, with colleague Dr. David Jones. Dave fulfills roles in both Wild Welfare and Wild Welfare US, and is involved with global projects in Africa, Brazil, USA, SE Asia, Japan, and China .

Georgina Groves has more than 18 years’ experience working on animal welfare campaigns for UK and international organisations. As an experienced, strategic project director and campaigner in national and international animal welfare practice, she develops and runs international workshops in animal welfare and ethical practice for zoos, sanctuaries, NGOs and governments and was previously Wild Welfare’s executive director.
Georgina is a member of the Zoological Society of London’s animal welfare committee, a Species Survival Network (SSN) Animals in Captivity Working Group member and an International Veterinary Students’ Association Animal Welfare Committee Patron. Her favourite animal is the blue wildebeest because she thinks they are beautiful.

Simon Marsh started his career as an animal keeper, went on to specialize in carnivores and was most recently animal collection manager for a UK wildlife park. He has more than 20 years’ experience in zoos, safari parks, sanctuaries and rehabilitation projects, both UK and overseas. His passion for animal welfare goes hand in hand with a commitment to conserving species and habitats in the wild. Simon is a IUCN member, chairs the Canid and Hyaenid Taxon Advisory Group for the European Association of Zoos and Aquaria (EAZA), and is a UK zoo inspector. One of the first species Simon worked with is his favorite; the lion. Sitting in a vehicle surrounded by a large pride was amazing and he learnt a huge amount about their behavior and personalities.

Sarah has spent her decade-long career in animal management, having worked in several zoos and animal sanctuaries. She has also worked in the ethical ecotourism sector and is passionate about responsible tourism. With an enthusiasm for enrichment, Sarah initially became involved with Wild Welfare by creating enrichment portfolios and volunteering as an animal welfare advisor on overseas projects. Sarah has previously sat on the Association of British and Irish Wild Animal Keepers (ABWAK) council and is an NTU Alumni Fellow, helping to encourage and inspire industry students. Sarah’s favourite animal is the wolf because she says they just feel like home.

Victoria brings her skills as a fundraiser and her passion for wildlife and community development to Wild Welfare. She has more than 20 years’ experience as a fundraiser for international development and wildlife conservation organisations. Prior to joining us, Victoria worked in Kenya and Namibia, raising funds for animal welfare and conservation projects. Victoria’s favourite animal is the elephant, for its intelligent and noble nature.

Andy’s career began in 2015, playing a pivotal role in establishing a marketing team at an emerging UK wildlife park. Over the following decade, he honed his skills and amassed a wealth of understanding and experience within the domestic zoo sector. His collaborations with global wildlife charities allowed him to contribute to effective messaging strategies for public outreach and deliver many successful awareness campaigns. Beyond Andy’s passion for digital content creation, is his other true love – Penguins. These charming creatures hold a special place in his heart due to their unique characteristics, playful behavior and adorable appearance.