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Conservation is often measured in decades.
Species recovery programmes span generations. Habitat restoration can take years before results become visible. Behaviour change, policy development and education initiatives rarely happen overnight.
Yet behind every conservation success story is something less visible: people.
People who lead. People who mentor. People who share knowledge. People who create organisations capable of delivering impact long after individual careers have ended.
That idea sat at the heart of the 2026 WAZA Mid-Year Meeting, which brought together conservation professionals from across the world under the theme Stewards of Tomorrow: Leadership Across Differences, Impact Without Borders.
The event brought together over 230 registered delegates from across regions, cultures and time zones, demonstrating the strength, diversity and global reach of the WAZA community. Over two days, participants explored a simple but important question:
How do we prepare our community not only to lead today, but to continue leading tomorrow?
Conservation is not a sprint. It is a relay.
Every generation of conservation leaders carries the baton for a time before passing it on. The responsibility of today’s leaders is not only to deliver impact now, but to ensure others are ready to carry that impact further.
Opening the meeting, WAZA President David Field reminded delegates that leadership comes in many forms.
“There is no one definition of leadership. There is no one style of leadership.”
Whether quiet or charismatic, visionary or analytical, effective leaders share one common characteristic: authenticity and commitment to a purpose greater than themselves.
Throughout the meeting, a common message emerged. Conservation impact does not happen by accident. It depends on strong institutions, capable people and intentional investment in future generations of leaders.
As WAZA CEO Dr Martín Zordan highlighted in his update to members, delivering conservation impact also requires strong organisations. Organisations that continue to evolve, strengthen and adapt to meet the needs of both their members and a rapidly changing world.
This year, that work included the introduction of WAZA’s first dedicated Member Policy and a new Position Statement process. Together, these initiatives help strengthen governance, provide greater clarity and create a stronger framework for the future growth and credibility of the association.
Strong conservation outcomes depend on strong conservation institutions.
Day One focused on leadership development and succession planning.
Keynote speaker Sujata Biswas of Mercer Singapore explored how organisations can prepare for the future by identifying, developing and supporting future leaders long before leadership transitions become necessary. Her message was clear: succession planning is not simply about replacing leaders; it is about building organisational resilience.
Delegates then heard practical examples of professional development from across the WAZA community.
Presentations from EAZA Academy, the Zoo and Aquarium Association Australasia (ZAA) and the International Zoo Educators Association (IZE) demonstrated how structured leadership development programmes are helping professionals build skills, confidence and networks across regions and career stages.
One recurring theme was that leadership is not developed through job titles alone.
It is developed through mentoring, reflection, learning, coaching and experience.
Or, as David Field reminded delegates:
“Leadership is a discipline.”
A discipline that must be nurtured intentionally if organisations are to thrive in an increasingly complex world.
If Day One focused on building leaders, Day Two focused on what leadership enables.
In his keynote, Dr Ken Chandler, Chief Potential Officer at Quest Strategic Solutions, challenged delegates to think beyond present challenges and actively shape the future they wish to create. Drawing on the concept of a “preferred future”, he encouraged participants to move beyond maintaining existing systems and instead focus on creating organisations capable of delivering long-term impact.
His message resonated strongly with the meeting’s overall theme.
Stewardship is not simply about protecting what exists today.
It is about preparing for what comes next.
It is about ensuring that future leaders inherit organisations that are resilient, adaptive and capable of responding to the opportunities and challenges ahead.
The keynote was followed by a series of practical examples showing how organisations across the global zoo and aquarium community are investing in leadership development and professional growth.
André Stadler and Laura Ganner shared Alpenzoo Innsbruck’s Internal Leadership Programme, demonstrating how intentional investment in trusting people can strengthen organisational culture, build leadership capacity and create pathways for future success.
James Star introduced the Keeper Educational Exchange Programme (KEEP), highlighting how international exchange opportunities help develop skills, broaden perspectives and strengthen connections across institutions and regions.
Delegates also heard about the ALPZA Academy, presented by Dr Alexandra Guerra (Executive Director of ALPZA), which is helping support professional development across Latin America, and the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA)’ Executive Leadership Development Program, presented by Kari Hart and Charles Hopper. Their session demonstrated how structured leadership programmes can help prepare future executives while strengthening the wider leadership ecosystem of the profession.
Together, these sessions reinforced a powerful message: strong conservation organisations do not happen by chance. They are built through continuous learning, mentorship, investment in people and a commitment to developing the next generation of leaders.
The second half of the programme then broadened the conversation beyond individual institutions to explore the collective impact of the global WAZA community.
Leadership development is not an end in itself.
Its purpose is impact.
One of the most important sessions of the meeting explored how WAZA’s strategic goals connect the work of individual institutions to the broader global conservation agenda.
During Flocking for Biodiversity: Connecting Our Community to the Global Conservation Landscape, WAZA’s Head of Conservation and Animal Welfare, Paula Cerdán, and Head of Partnerships and Advocacy, Loïs Lelanchon, highlighted how the collective actions of WAZA members contribute to international biodiversity priorities.
From the WAZA 2023 Animal Welfare Goal and the WAZA 2027 Population Management Goal to the new WAZA 2030 Conservation Goal, these initiatives help align efforts across the global zoo and aquarium community while demonstrating measurable contributions to wider frameworks, including the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework and its targets.
The session reinforced an important message:
No single institution can achieve global conservation goals alone.
But together, through shared global standards, collective action and a common direction, the WAZA community can create meaningful impact at scale.
One of the most anticipated additions to this year’s programme was the premiere of Convos with CEOs.
Moderated by WAZA President David Field, these interactive sessions brought together leaders from institutions across different regions of the world to discuss leadership, organisational culture, workforce development, innovation and the realities of leading modern conservation organisations.
The format offered delegates something unique: direct access to leaders facing many of the same opportunities and challenges as their peers across the global community.
On Day 1, Katy Duke from The Deep, Leslie Mudimeli from the National Zoological Garden of South Africa and Phil Ainsley from Zoos South Australia shared insights on balancing daily operations with conservation outputs and empowering future leaders through organisational change.
On Day 2, Friederike von Houwald from Tierpark Bern, Jennifer Driban from the National Aquarium and Luis Soto from Zoológico Guadalajara explored how to break down internal silos, retain younger generations of staff and implement proactive succession planning.
Rather than formal presentations, the sessions created space for honest conversations, practical insights and shared experiences.
The strong engagement from delegates demonstrated the value of creating opportunities for leaders to learn not only from experts, but from one another.
Because some of the most powerful lessons in leadership come not from theory, but from shared experience.
This year’s meeting also marked an important milestone for accessibility and inclusion.
For the first time, WAZA introduced AI-powered live translation, enabling delegates to follow sessions in their preferred language and participate more fully in discussions regardless of where they were joining from.
As a global association representing institutions across continents, cultures and languages, creating opportunities for more voices to participate meaningfully remains a priority.
The introduction of live translation technology reflects WAZA’s commitment to ensuring that knowledge, ideas and collaboration can move more freely across borders.
Across two days of discussion, learning and collaboration, more than 230 registered delegates demonstrated something powerful: while our institutions may be separated by geography, language and culture, we remain united by a shared commitment to conservation and animal welfare.
Perhaps the strongest message to emerge from the meeting was that the future of conservation depends on more than scientific expertise alone.
It depends on people.
It depends on organisations willing to invest in leadership development.
It depends on institutions willing to share knowledge and learn from one another.
It depends on a global community willing to collaborate across differences in pursuit of a shared purpose.
As the meeting drew to a close, WAZA President David Field reminded delegates that leadership is ultimately about service, authenticity and helping others succeed.
Stewardship is not a responsibility reserved for a few individuals at the top of organisations.
It belongs to all of us.
Because conservation is a relay, not a sprint.
And the responsibility of today’s leaders is not simply to carry the baton.
It is to ensure that the next generation is ready to carry it further.
WAZA would like to thank all speakers, moderators, delegates and contributors who helped make the 2026 Mid-Year Meeting a success.
We would also like to extend our sincere thanks to JH Global Inc. for sponsoring this event.
Registered delegates will receive access to the meeting recordings in the coming days.
Thank you for being part of our global community and for helping shape the future we want to create, together.
The World Association of Zoos and Aquariums (WAZA) is the global alliance of regional associations, national federations, zoos and aquariums, dedicated to the care and conservation of animals and their habitats around the world.
