Dr. Gráinne McCabe joined the Wilder Institute in May 2023 as the Chief Conservation Officer. As a member of the executive leadership, she is responsible for leading strategic development for conservation translocations and community conservation initiatives, strengthening connections with stakeholders and partners, and coordinating research for a wide array of international programs dedicated to saving species at risk of extinction. In this newly created role, Gráinne is also responsible for providing strategic leadership and oversight to the Conservation & Science Department.
Gráinne’s career has been spent at the intersection of zoos and conservation, most recently as the Head of Field Conservation and Science for Bristol Zoological Society, United Kingdom, where she directed global conservation work in 10 countries and provision of six university degree programs. She brings a wealth of expertise in leading transformations, translocations and capacity building to increase conservation impact exponentially.
Gráinne is a member of the IUCN SSC Primate Specialist Group, as well as a member of the IUCN BIOPAMA Regional Advisory Committee. She received her PhD in Ecological Anthropology from the University of Texas at San Antonio and her Masters in Primatology from the University of Calgary in Alberta.