Organization: Toronto Zoo
(AZA Member)
Location: Scarborough, Ontario, Canada
Job or Internship: Job
Inspiring People to Love, Respect and Protect Wildlife and Wild Spaces.
Chief Executive Officer
Since 1974, the Toronto Zoo has evolved into a global leader in conservation efforts to save endangered species and an innovator in the creation of imaginative and immersive displays. One of the world’s most honoured and acclaimed zoos, this centrepiece in the life of Toronto has 5,000 animals representing more than 500 species. A champion of the endangered and the environment, the Toronto Zoo welcomes more than 150,000 school students every year to promote its mission. Building on a base of 1.3 million annual visitors, the Toronto Zoo is keen to maintain its public appeal and to continue to deliver a unique wildlife experience that inspires people to love, respect and protect wildlife and wild spaces.
The Board of Management is seeking a Chief Executive Officer with broad-based leadership experience who will guide the Zoo through an exciting new phase of development. Working closely with the Board and staff, the CEO will direct a transformative change consistent with the vision, long-term plans and annual goals of the Zoo. S/he will leverage Zoo resources and its reputation to simultaneously advance multiple facets of a wide-ranging and ambitious mandate. Early priorities will be to lead the revitalization of fundraising activities, to oversee the construction and renovation of new and existing facilities, and to raise the profile of the Zoo locally, nationally, and internationally. As a conservation minded organization, the Zoo embodies its values in the way it operates. Recently, this has included the adoption of green building standards, the pursuit of renewable energy initiatives, and the efficient use of technology. This is an opportunity for a visionary leader to take an already beloved institution to the next level -- a venue for education, research and innovation that will inspire an ever-deeper respect for the importance of preserving our natural world.
As the ideal candidate for the position of CEO, you have spent the last ten years of your career initiating change and building the business, as a valuable member of the senior management team of your organization. Your leadership style is characterized by energy, vision, and enthusiasm, and you have demonstrated the ability to manage the financial and operational activities of a large, complex, multi-stakeholder organization. Your executive presence motivates staff and inspires support both internally and externally and you enjoy the external facing and fundrasing aspects of the public sector CEO role. You understand the importance of Zoo conservation, education and research work, and the need to balance these mandates with the business demands of a high profile organization. Above all, you believe deeply in the value of the Toronto Zoo and would relish the opportunity to take the organization to the next phase of institutional development.
To explore this opportunity further, please contact Hayley Becker or D’Arcy Stuart in the Toronto office of Odgers Berndston at (416) 366-1990 or submit your resume online to www.odgersberndston.ca/en/careers/8836 no later then Monday, December 14, 2009.