Rachel Haydon

Since May 2025, Rachel Haydon has been CEO of Orana Wildlife Park in Christchurch, New Zealand, where she leads the organisation's strategy, fosters a positive workplace culture, and maintains strong stakeholder relationships.

Before that, she spent over five years as general manager of the National Aquarium of New Zealand, a major marine and wildlife conservation centre in Napier on the east coast of New Zealand's North Island, where she led the transformation of the aquarium's operations, conservation education, and strategic vision.

A graduate of the ZAA's Executive Leadership Development Program (ELDP), Haydon is a well-known and respected leader in the global zoo and aquarium community.

"I'm always impressed by her strong guidance, which is linked with her supportive nature as a leader at her own organisation and within the wider Global Zoo and Aquarium community," said one person who nominated Haydon. "She is a key influencer in how zoos and aquariums move forward with conservation education and community engagement."

With previous leadership roles at the Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa, the Zoological Society of London and the Natural History Museum, Rachel Haydon has spent the last 15 years engaging all ages in science and conservation through schools, museums, zoos and aquariums in Australia, South Korea, the United Kingdom and New Zealand.

She has also served as the Oceania Representative for the International Zoo Educators Association (IZE), helping increase Oceania membership and catalysing a strong community of conservation education professionals across Australasian zoos and aquariums.