Orana Wildlife Park CEO Rachel Haydon. Photo: Supplied
Christchurch's Orana Wildlife Park has appointed a new boss, after the last CEO left in the midst of reviews sparked by allegations of animal welfare concerns and a toxic work culture.
In November last year, CEO Lynn Anderson resigned after 28 years of leading the zoo.
In December, Orana Wildlife Park announced it would stop taking new animals for next six months while staff work on changes recommended by two reviews prompted by whistleblowers' complaints.
The Zoo and Aquarium Association Australasia (ZAA) commissioned an independent investigation into the allegations of poor animal welfare aired on 1News, while the Orana Wildlife Trust Board asked agency Culture by Design to assess the park's workplace culture.
The board released a summary of the investigations' outcomes and recommendations but declined to publicly release the reports in full, due to privacy reasons.
Rachel Haydon, who is currently the director of the National Aquarium of New Zealand in Napier, will take over as Orana Wildlife Parks' CEO in two months.
She has served as Director of the National Aquarium for more than five years, and previously had roles with the Zoological Society of London and London's Natural History Museum.
Orana Wildlife Trust Board Co-Chair, Professor Ken Hughey, said the position had attracted significant interest both nationally and internationally.
"Rachel stood out for her exceptional leadership in team culture development, community engagement, and her forward-thinking approach to conservation and innovation. She is the perfect person to guide Orana through this phase of transformational change," said Professor Hughey.
He said that Orana Wildlife Park was embarking on a journey of improvement that will take some time.
"The first steps in implementing these actions have started, and good progress has already been made setting the stage for an exciting future.
"Rachel's industry expertise and global connections-particularly as Chair of the Zoo and Aquarium Association Australasia (ZAA) Conservation Engagement Committee, and Oceania representative for the International Zoo Educators' Association-will be instrumental in shaping this new direction," said Professor Hughey.
Rachel Haydon said she was thrilled to join the Orana team and help shape the Park's future.
"Orana has a strong foundation in conservation, particularly with native fauna, and I look forward to building upon this legacy. I am also keen to strengthen the Park's relationships with our supporters and sponsors, and I would like to establish a meaningful partnership with local iwi.
