Our shareholders elect 12 trustees to govern our society. The director and senior managers all report to the trustees.

Altogether, around 165 staff, and over 300 volunteers run the zoo's Activity Centre and Animal Encounter Sessions. This team, over 450-strong, also engages with local community groups, and provides practical support for field conservation activities.

Heads of department

Dr Jo Gipps
	Director of Bristol Zoo Gardens Chair, Bristol Natural History Consortium Chair, WAZA Conservation and Sustainability Committee Chair, ICUN/SSC Conservation Breeding Specialist Group Advisory Committee Board Member, Destination Bristol
International Studbook Co-Keeper: Giant Panda Trustee, ss Great Britain Member, WAZA Council Member, EAZA Conservation Committee Member, BIAZA Council Member, BIAZA Membership & Licensing Committee Member, IUCN/SSC Conservation Breeding Specialist Group Strategic Committee Member, Bristol Partnership Prosperous and Ambitious Board Member, Steering Committee, Bristol Green Capital Momentum Group Member, Bristol Cultural Development Partnership Board
Dr Bryan Carroll
	Deputy Director Chair, EAZA Bushment Working Group Chair, EAZA Callitrichidae TAG Chair, BIAZA Conservation and Sustainability Committee Trustee, Ape Action Africa
Inspector Secretary of State's List of Zoo Inspectors Member, Defra-Zoo Liaison Group Member, EAZA Council Member, EAZA Conservation Committee Member, EAZA EEP Committee Member, International Zoo Seminar Group Member, IUCN/SSC Chiroptera Specialist Group Member, IUCN/SSC Conservation Breeding Specialist Group Member, IUCN/SSC Primate Specialist Group Member, IUCN UK Executive Committee Corresponding Member, BIAZA Research Group Governor, Filton College Corporation
Neil Maddison
	Head of Conservation Programmes Trustee, Ape Action Africa Member, IUCN Conservation Breeding Specialist Group
Nick Higgins
	Finance and Administration Manager Member, Charity Finance Directors' Group
Wendy Walton
	Head of Commercial Operations Has spent 25 years in Venue and Attractions Management. Formerly Head of Marketing & Programming at the Brighton Centre; General Manager of Stanmer House, and Centre Manager for the Wildfowl & Wetlands Trust.
Tim Wilson
	Head of Estates Fellow, Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors
Eddie Mole
	Head of Horticulture Chair of the EAZA Plant Conservation Network Committee member, BIAZA Plant Working Group Trustee, UK PlantNetwork Member, Royal Botanic Gardens Edinburgh Guild
Member, Somerset Rare Plant Group Member, Avon Wildlife Trust
Heather Holve
	Head of PR and Marketing Member, Attractors Forum, Destination Bristol
John Partridge
	Senior Curator of Animals Member, BIAZA Mammal working group Studbook Keeper, Black Howler Monkey ESB National Assessor, ANCMZA Honorary Life Member, Association of British Wild Animal Keepers Member, EAZA Felid TAG Member, EAZA Hippopotamus & Tapir TAG Member, EAZA Small Mammal TAG
Dr Christoph Schwitzer
	Head of Research Executive Secretary, Association Européenne pour l’Etude et la Conservation des Lémuriens Honorary Research Fellow, University of Bristol, School of Biological Sciences Examiner, Konrad Adenauer Foundation Scholarships for talented graduates
Section Editor ‘Zoo Animals’, UFAW Animal Welfare External Examiner, University of Wolverhampton (Biology and Ecology modules) Regional Coordinator, Madagascar, IUCN SSC Primate Specialist Group Nutrition Advisor, EAZA Callitrichidae TAG Scientific Advisor, BIAZA Primate Focus Group Editor-in-Chief, IUCN SSC Primate Specialist Group Lemur News Member, International Primatological Society Member, Primate Society of Great Britain Member, EAZA Research Committee Member, EAZA Nutrition Group Steering Committee
Simon Garrett
	Head of Learning Member, International Zoo Educators' Association Member of the Bristol Natural History Consortium Communicate Committee Member, Bristol Natural History Consortium, Education and Outreach
Sallie Blanks
	NWCP Project Manager

Trustees of the Society

Martin Davies Jones BA (Cantab)
	Chair of Trustees Solicitor
Victoria Arrowsmith-Brown
	MA (Oxon). Formerly a printer, now self-employed in publishing and in auditing for wood-related certification schemes. She has been a lifelong shareholder of the Zoo.
Michael Bothamley BA (Dunelm)
	Solicitor and Partner of Beachcroft LLP, President of GWE Business West.
Richard Clarke
	Regional Head of Development at GVA Grimley. Former Chairman of the House Builder’s Federation. His family has over 100 years’ involvement with the Zoo.
Professor Robert Cuthbert MA, MSc, MBA, DipEdAdmin
	Professor of Higher Education Management, University of the West of England and Director of the Centre for Authentic Management and Policymaking in University Systems (CAMPUS). Chair of Aimhigher South West. (Representing the University of the West of England.)
Professor Innes Cuthill MA (Cantab.), D.Phil (Oxon)
	President of the Association for the Study of Animal Behaviour, Head of the School of Biological Sciences and Professor of Behavioural Ecology, University of Bristol (representing University of Bristol).
Professor Allen Goodship PhD, BVSc, MRCVS
	Professor of Orthopaedic Science, University College London and Royal Veterinary College. Director of the Institute of Orthopaedics and Musculo-skeletal Science UCL; Visiting Professor of Biomedical Sciences, University of Bristol; Visiting Professor in the Discipline of Pathology, School of Medical Sciences, University of Adelaide.
Paul Kearney
	Has spent 30 years in the regional newspaper and media sector and was previously Managing Director of Bristol United Press PLC. He now has a business consultancy with interests in the PR, recruitment, web design and information portal sectors. Director of “ABLAZE” an education support charity.
James McArthur BA (Hons)
	Marketing Director of McArthur Group Ltd, one of the largest private companies in the UK.
Charlotte Moar MA, FMCA
	Finance Director/Deputy Chief Executive of Wiltshire Primary Care Trust.
Christopher Pople ACA, ATII
	Chairman of the Oxwich group of funds. Member of the Council of Clifton College, Bristol. Member of the Board of Governors of The Red Maids’ School, Bristol.
Frank Smith BSc, MD, FRCS
	Reader and Honorary Consultant Vascular Surgeon, University of Bristol and Bristol Royal Infirmary.