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 oversees the operations of the organization, with a strong focus on communications and media programs, outreach and education,...

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, and Director, Teton Cougar Project

Dr. Howard Quigley, Panthera’s Jaguar Program Director and Teton Cougar Project...

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...

Paul Funston, PhD

Senior Director, Lion Program

Serving as Panthera’s Senior Lion Program Director, Dr. Paul Funston is an internationally recognized large carnivore biologist, with a strong interest in ecosystem functions and developing...

Guy Balme, PhD

Director, Leopard Program

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

John Goodrich, PhD

Senior Tiger Program Director

John Goodrich serves as the Senior Tiger Program Director for Panthera. In this role, Dr. Goodrich leads the direction of range-wide tiger conservation programs across Asia through Panthera’s...

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...

Alan Rabinowitz, PhD Chief Executive Officer	Luke Hunter, PhD President
George Schaller, PhD Vice President	Andrea Heydlauff, MS Vice President
Gary Baldaeus Chief Financial Officer	Steve Winter Director, Media
Jennifer Shepherd, MA Director of Development	Hugh Robinson, PhD Director, Landscape Analysis Lab
Susan Vega Assistant Director, Accounting	Susie Weller, MA Communications Manager
Julie Hughes Senior Grant Writer	Kathryn Reidy, MPA Leadership Gifts Specialist
Lisanne Petracca, MS Geospatial Analyst	Chris Cline, MSc Chief Technologist
Erin Adams Development Associate	Becca Marcus Web and Media Coordinator
Marla Kabashima Office Manager	Zach Parton Staff Accountant

UK Office

Camilla Fritze

Manager, Panthera UK