Kira Mileham is a science communicator who focuses on species conservation via strategy and collaborative partnerships. She is the global director of strategic partnerships for the IUCN Species Survival Commission (SSC). Here, she is responsible for strengthening the Species Survival Commission’s network of 9,000 scientific species experts through partnerships with NGOs, zoos and aquariums, corporate partners and government agencies.
The IUCN SSC works independently and with various IUCN units to build knowledge on the status of species and threats to them. It provides advice, develops policies and guidelines, and facilitates conservation planning.
Within her role, she contributes to the strategic direction, prioritisation frameworks and partnerships for the Species Survival Commission. She works closely with the leadership of the SSC’s 164 specialist groups to identify priorities to ensure the survival of species and lead attempts to establish partnerships to address these priorities.
One of her major achievements is the development of a global partnership model and network between accredited zoos, aquariums and botanic gardens and the SSC to jointly assess species for inclusion on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Mileham also helped to lead the creation of the Reverse the Red initiative, a global movement to unite governments, partners and experts to reverse the negative trends in species survival.
She sits as a formal advisor on the council of the World Association of Zoos and Aquariums (WAZA) as well as the conservation committees of most of the world’s regional zoo and aquarium associations. She holds degrees in conservation ecology and public relations and a PhD in human behaviour change, programme management and impact evaluation.
“We know that conservation works and that we can reverse the current threatening trends to truly secure a future for wildlife, wild places and people. We simply need to do more and work together,” Mileham said.