Posted on February, 06 2014

Gland, Switzerland: WWF announced today the appointment of Marco Lambertini as Director General of WWF International.

Currently Chief Executive of BirdLife International, Marco will begin his new role with the global conservation organization on 1 May 2014.

Yolanda Kakabadse, President of the WWF International Board of Trustees, said: “Marco Lambertini was the outstanding candidate in a broad field of exceptional applicants. We were searching for someone with proven global leadership credentials as well as a global mindset, first-class scientific and political acumen, someone who is an energetic fundraiser, a campaigner and a natural communicator, who demonstrates the passion and drive to save life on Earth.

"Marco ticks all of these boxes and more. On behalf of my colleagues on the WWF International Board of Trustees, it gives me great pleasure to welcome Marco to WWF.”

With 25 years of global conservation leadership, Marco Lambertini began his association with WWF as a youth volunteer growing up in his native Italy. Prior to his current role as Chief Executive of BirdLife International, Marco was Global Director of Network and Programme for over a decade.

That role saw him broaden BirdLife’s global reach and relevance, and develop decentralized structures for most effective global conservation impact.

Marco Lambertini said: “I am delighted and incredibly excited to serve an organization like WWF – and to contribute to fully realize its immense potential as a catalyst and agent for change for the benefit of people and nature.

"WWF’s authority and visibility, global reach, civil society support and local presence can deliver what the planet and its people need: real change towards sustainable living across sectors, cultures and continents – a truly global vision for a planet where people and nature can thrive in harmony.”

The outgoing Director General of WWF International, Jim Leape, announced his decision to leave the organization last year. His last day at WWF will be 31 March 2014. Starting in July, Jim will be a consulting professor at Stanford University’s Woods Institute for the Environment.

Jim Leape said: “It gives me great pride and pleasure to hand over the baton as Director General of WWF International to a conservation leader of such stature and experience as Marco Lambertini. I congratulate Marco on his appointment and I am confident that WWF will reach even greater heights under his leadership.”



Media contact: Gemma Parkes, WWF International Executive Communications Manager, gparkes@wwfint.org / +41 (0)79 253 6386