Adelaide Zoo new boss for Adelaide Zoo

Chlidonias

Chlidonias

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Adelaide Zoo gets a new boss | Perth Now
10 July 2012

Education and former state government executive Elaine Bensted has been named the new boss of the Adelaide Zoo.

MS Bensted will replace Chris West who resigned earlier this year to take up a similar role at the Edinburgh Zoo.

Professor West presided over the zoo during its most difficult times, the organisation last year revealing debts of $24 million after borrowing to fund a major redevelopment including a special enclosure for giant pandas Wang Wang and Funi.

Ms Bensted will take up the chief executive's role in September and was most recently the chief executive of TAFE SA.

She previously held senior roles in the Department for Trade and Economic Development and in private sector finance.

Zoo president Kevin McGuinness said Ms Bensted's professional background, experience and capabilities made her the ideal candidate for the critical role.

"Elaine has also demonstrated a strong understanding and empathy for the core values and goals of our organisation including our strong conservation focus," he said.

As a South Australian, Ms Bensted said she had fond memories of visiting the zoo as she grew up and now wanted to help it develop and grow.

"It is critical that we connect with the local community and have a business model in place that builds on the organisation's conservation and education achievements to date," she said.

"These will be key areas of focus."
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But does she have an animal background? Her previous positions suggest not.

Hix
 
Hix said:
But does she have an animal background? Her previous positions suggest not.Hix
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No, she has none. Her employment history and education is in public administration and at managerial level.

Given the huge overdraft Adelaide Zoo has had to deal with ... someone with a strong business oriented experience and public finance background is perhaps not so bad.

Having said that: I would hope - I am not sure how managerial postings are sub-divided at AZ - that a similar individual with a strong zoological / zoo management background will oversee the animal collection and staff organization.
 
Hix said:
But does she have an animal background? Her previous positions suggest not.

Hix
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She visited the zoo as she grew up !

What are the core "values & goals" of the "organisation" ?
Conservation or politics ?
I guess the appointment of this CEO answers that question.

Cheers Khakibob
 
While I prefer to have an animal-person ultimately in control of a zoo (with excellent financial and managerial staff advising), more and more zoos seem to be going the way of Adelaide Zoo. As Kifaru Bwana says, considering the current financial position of the zoo, this is an understandable choice and perhaps the best option to keep the zoo ahead of creditors.

We'll just have to wait and see.

:p

Hix
 
I wasn't sure that Chris West was a good choice for the zoo, and I don't think Elaine Bensted will be. She may be able to help move the zoo in a more 'profitable' direction (by profitable I mean removing the zoo's debt), but I think much like Chris West, that may mean she will focus on the visitor's favourite animal species, and focus less on birds and the rarities the zoo has exhibited in the past. I don't think the zoo will ever be as good as it was before the pandas arrived...

But as Hix said, we will just have to wait and see.
 
Electus Parrot said:
I wasn't sure that Chris West was a good choice for the zoo, and I don't think Elaine Bensted will be. She may be able to help move the zoo in a more 'profitable' direction (by profitable I mean removing the zoo's debt), but I think much like Chris West, that may mean she will focus on the visitor's favourite animal species, and focus less on birds and the rarities the zoo has exhibited in the past. I don't think the zoo will ever be as good as it was before the pandas arrived...

But as Hix said, we will just have to wait and see.
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E.P, THAT is exactly the reason why I enquiried what the managerial staffing positions looks like at Adelaide Zoo. I FAVOUR the one where the zoological management side of the zoo is filled by a ZOO EXPERIENCED individual and with no undue interference on day-to-day management or animal collection from financial and CEO manager.
 
Chlidonias said:
unlikely to be. She has only just been appointed. The job cuts etc are part of the ongoing plan to cut costs. I think its just coincidence the two pieces of news got released at the same time.
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You are more locally in the know for sure. She then does have a very uneviable task at hand.
 
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