People

People

Panthera is led by an expert team who work on the frontlines of conservation throughout the world.

Explore our people: Leadership, Species Directors, New York office, UK office, On the Ground

Leadership

Thomas S. Kaplan, PhD

Founder and Chairman of the Board

Dr. Thomas S. Kaplan is a passionate environmentalist and supporter of wildlife conservation. Alongside his wife, Daphne Recanati Kaplan, they founded Panthera in 2006 to meet the global...

Alan Rabinowitz, PhD

Chief Executive Officer

Dr. Alan Rabinowitz is one of the world’s leading big cat experts, and has been called ‘The Indiana Jones of Wildlife Conservation’ by TIME Magazine. Dr. Rabinowitz graduated from the University...

Luke Hunter, PhD

President

Dr. Luke Hunter serves as Panthera’s President where he oversees the direction and strategy of all of the organization’s global wild cat conservation programs. Before joining Panthera, Dr. Hunter...

George Schaller, PhD

Vice President

Known as one of the founding fathers of wildlife conservation, Dr. George Schaller now serves as the Vice President of Panthera. Born in Germany in 1933, Dr. Schaller received his undergraduate...

Andrea Heydlauff, MS

Vice President

Andrea Heydlauff serves as Panthera's Vice President, where she helps oversee the day to day operations of the organization. Since January 2010, she has managed Panthera’s Communications and Media...

Gary Baldaeus

Chief Financial Officer

Gary serves as Panthera‘s Chief Financial Officer. After completing eight years of military service during the 1960’s, he obtained his BBA in accounting from City University of New York-Baruch...

Howard Quigley, PhD

Executive Director, Jaguar Program

Dr. Howard Quigley, Panthera’s Jaguar Program Director, focuses on the conservation of jaguars range-wide and the conservation of cougars in California and Wyoming. He obtained his Bachelor’s...

Tom McCarthy, PhD

Executive Director, Snow Leopard Program

Dr. Tom McCarthy, Panthera’s Director of Snow Leopard Programs, began his conservation career studying brown bears, black bears, mountain goats and caribou in Alaska in the early 1980s. A strong...

Guy Balme, PhD

Director, Lion Program

Dr. Guy Balme is the Director of Panthera’s Lion Program in Africa and is a leading field scientist for Panthera’s Munyawana Leopard...

Joe Smith, PhD

Director, Tiger Program

Currently based in Sumatra, Indonesia, Dr. Joe Smith serves as Panthera’s Tiger Program Director. Joe is working on Panthera’s...

Snow leopard pelts are in high demand, with prices ranging from tens of US dollars, as reported by hunters in Nepal, to thousands of US dollars, as reported on the black market in Kazakhstan.

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Partners

New York Office

Alan Rabinowitz, PhD Chief Executive Officer	Luke Hunter, PhD President
George Schaller, PhD Vice President	Andrea Heydlauff, MS Vice President
Hugh Robinson, PhD Director, Landscape Analysis Lab	Justine Oller, MPA Program Manager
Gary Baldaeus Chief Financial Officer	Marla Kabashima Office Manager
Steve Winter Director, Media	Susan Vega Assistant Director, Accounting
Susan Weller Web and Communications Coordinator	Lisanne Petracca, MS Geospatial Analyst
Erin Adams Development Associate	Zach Sufilka Staff Accountant
Becca Marcus Web and Communications Assistant

UK Office

Camilla Fritze

Manager, Panthera UK