Meet the Team

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  Membership Officer

  Alex Blatherwick Email : [email protected] Telephone : 0207 449 6599

  Alex joined the team in March 2018. With a Masters in Primate Conservation and background in education, science communication and public engagement, Alex previously worked at the British Science Association and volunteers extensively. She has been a volunteer at ZSL London Zoo for five years, including volunteering with the Discovery and Learning team for two years.

  Alex supports BIAZA’s Communications and Membership Manager Zoe Williamson to communicate with and support our membership, including working on BIAZA publications, events and conferences, and managing new membership applications.
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  Chief Executive Officer

  Dr Kirsten Pullen Email : [email protected] Telephone : 0207 449 6520

  Kirsten started as the new Chief Executive Officer of BIAZA in March 2013. Previous to this she worked for the Whitley Wildlife Conservation Trust, based in Paignton, as the zoo research officer including a secondment to Living Coasts. Kirsten has also worked at Bristol Zoo and Welsh Mountain Zoo, and before joining BIAZA was a member of the BIAZA Council and the Living Collections Committee among other roles. Kirsten is a biologist by training and also has a Masters in Ecology and a PHD in gorilla behaviour. She is passionate about the role zoos and aquariums can play in wildlife conservation and hopes to move BIAZA’s profile further forward and ensure that our members do become the zoos and aquariums of the future. 
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  Programmes & Policy Manager

  Nicky Needham Email : [email protected] Telephone : 0207 449 6367

  Nicky took on this role in December 2013. With 10 years zoo keeping experience gained at Paignton Zoo, Taronga Zoo in Sydney and ZSL London Zoo, Nicky contributes a wealth of practical knowledge of natural history and zoo biology and an in-depth understanding of the zoo industry.  With MSc degrees in Marine Science and in Zoo Conservation Biology, she is particularly keen to support the increasingly important role of aquariums in modern conservation and sustainability.  She works closely with the committees and the working groups, keeping members informed of changes in relevant policy and supporting them in all their conservation, research and education-based activities.
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  Communications & Membership Manager

  Zoe Williamson Email : [email protected] Telephone : 0207 446 6599

  Zoe joined the BIAZA team in October 2015. She has spent more than fifteen years working in communications, media and PR; a career path which she followed having graduated in Zoology from the University of Edinburgh.  Her first steps towards turning her passion for promoting wildlife conservation into her career began at the BBC’s Natural History Unit in Bristol.  From there the subject matter for her various communications roles to date has changed dramatically, from space research to global yacht races.  More recently she was the Senior Communications Officer at The Pirbright Institute which reignited her desire to work in a communications role that brings together her educational background with her communications experience.
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  Financial Controller

  Janice Chandler Email : [email protected] Telephone : 0207 449 6351

  Janice joined the team in June 2016. Her earlier career was in banking but after a career break she went into accountancy and has been working in the charity sector for more than 20 years, starting at Eathkind, an animal welfare charity in 1995, which specialised in supporting marine life. In 2000, she moved to Mind in Enfield as Finance Manager and has been involved in project management, fundraising & quality standards as well as charity finance. Having just reduced her hours, she was delighted to have the opportunity to work for BIAZA and embrace its values.Janice looks after all the finances at BIAZA and is the 'go to' lady with regards to membership susbscriptions and invoicing. She works two days a week which are currently Tuesdays and Thursdays.
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  Programmes & Administration office

  Lauren Florisson Email : [email protected] Telephone : 0207 449 6351

  Her passion for animals and zoo management was created during a zoo keeping internship at Antwerp Zoo in 2010. Since then Lauren has begun to specialize in zoo management through an internship at the curator department of Taronga Zoo in Sydney and now holds a Msc in Zoo Conservation Biology. Previously working as a registrar at Five Sisters Zoo Lauren joined the BIAZA team in April 2017. She is passionate about species conservations through populations managed in zoos and the important role BIAZA plays in this. At the office Lauren supports Nicky and Kirsten and is involved in processing research applications, updating the website, processing campaign resources and general admin stuff.