RZSS Board

Chair of the Nominations and Remuneration Committee, and Board Member – Sandy Batho, MA, FCIPD

Sandy has had a career in HR and has worked at a very senior level in some significant organisations including Babcock International, Royal Mail, TransAmerica, SAPPI and Esso UK.

He was also Director of HR and Change for the National Trust for Scotland, working with another large charity with a significant member base and a large team of volunteers.

Sandy has a keen interest in conservation, has a passion for ornithology and has been a supporter of Edinburgh Zoo since childhood.

Board Member – Simon Corcoran, BA (Hons) MSc

Simon graduated with a BA Hons in Business and Technology (First Class) from the University of Northumbria.

After University, he moved to Scotland, and embarked upon a career in technology, in Financial Services. Since 1996, he has undertaken several cyber-security, technical, and leadership roles. He ran technology service delivery for a global bank, and has a deep appreciation as to how technology supports the objectives & aspirations of its stakeholders (including customers, colleagues & regulators).

Simon has delivered multiple major change programmes, and has extensive experience working with global technology suppliers.

Having worked in multiple financial services organisations, in his current role, he is responsible for all collaboration and communication platforms that serve the colleagues & customers of a major UK bank.

He continued his professional development, with an MSc in Strategic Information Systems (from Strathclyde University), and an accreditation in Climate Change Transformation (from Edinburgh University).

Outside work, he’s a neighbour and member of RZSS, and spend lots of time outside, walking & cycling with his wife and two daughters.

Board Member – John Denerley, DipSW

John is a qualified social worker who obtained a social work diploma from Manchester Metropolitan University. He possesses strong management skills, having developed valuable organisational competencies, effective communication, and problem-solving throughout his career.

As an elected member - Councillor for Dumfries and Galloway Council, he actively contributes to shaping policies and strategies that reflect the needs and priorities of his local ward. He has also been actively involved in various tourism-related activities and has taken up numerous trustee roles at both the local and national levels, supporting community-led projects that promote inclusivity and unity among diverse backgrounds.

John's passion for natural history has remained a driving force throughout his life. As a conservationist with a profound understanding of wildlife management, John has been a fellow Zoological Society of London member for over two decades, and a member of RZSS since 2002. He has extensive knowledge of the conservation of wild animals in zoos and the wild, including in-situ conservation and captive breeding.

In governance, John has served on panels, advisory boards, and as a charity trustee. With this set of skills and experience, it is a privilege for him to work with others to strengthen the voice of conservation on the RZSS Board of Trustees and continue to build RZSS’ long-standing and strong reputation, while embracing the principles of equality, diversity, and inclusion.

Chair of the Conservation Advisory group, Honorary Fellow, and Board Member – Dr Andrew Kitchener

Dr Andrew Kitchener is the Principal Curator of Vertebrates at National Museums Scotland, where he is responsible for the care and development of the vertebrate collections. He is involved in a wide range of research, including the effects of captivity on endangered species, with a particular interest in environmental enrichment and skeletal pathologies.

Andrew has had a long association with RZSS; he has been a member of the Animal Welfare and Ethics Group since 1992 and has been working in close collaboration with the WildGenes Lab on the Scottish Wildcat Conservation Action Plan and on establishing biobanks at RZSS and National Museums Scotland as part of CryoArks.

He is a member of the Scottish Animal Welfare Commission, the IUCN Cat Specialist Group, and the IUCN Equid Specialist Group, the Saving Wildcats Advisory Group and the Scottish Marine Animals Strandings Scheme Steering Group. He is Chair of the People’s Trust for Endangered Species and is an Honorary Fellow of RZSS.

Chair of the Animal Welfare Advisory Group, and Board Member – Professor Anna Meredith, OBE MA VetMB PhD CertLAS DZooMed DipECZM FRCVS

Anna is Professor of Zoological and Conservation Medicine at the Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies and was previously RZSS’s Head Veterinary Surgeon. She is a specialist in wildlife population health and has over 30 years clinical, teaching and research experience in zoo and wildlife medicine.

She has a wide range of board and governance experience including as previous chair of the UK Government’s Zoos Expert Committee, member of the Scottish Science Advisory Council, and Trustee of the Zoological Society of London and the Scottish Wildlife Trust. She is currently a member of the UK Government’s Animal Sentience Committee.

Anna has involvement in many Scottish conservation projects including red squirrels, wildcats and golden eagles, as well as several international conservation partnerships. From 2018-2022 she moved to Australia as Head of Melbourne University’s Veterinary School, and was a Board member of Wildlife Health Australia and Zoos Victoria. Anna will be taking up a new role as Executive Dean of the Faculty of Natural Sciences at Keele University from January 2024, but will continue to live in the Scottish Borders.

Chair of the Business Advisory Group, and Board Member – Mark Tate

Mark has lived and worked in the Cairngorms National Park for the past 10 years, following a senior international career with HSBC Bank.

For the 8 years prior to setting up his own business advisory and support business in 2024 Mark was Chief Executive of the Cairngorms Business Partnership, the chamber of commerce for the Cairngorms National Park and Destination Management Organisation through its brand VisitCairngorms.

During this time Mark built a deep understanding of the challenges of doing business in rural Scotland and the opportunities presented, particularly through the visitor economy. Including working closely with RZSS and particularly the Highland Wildlife Park.

Prior to moving to the Cairngorms, Mark spent 20 years with HSBC most latterly holding country head positions in Commercial and Corporate Banking in Scotland and Kazakhstan. During Mark’s 20 years with HSBC he built expertise, including in risk management, leadership, marketing and learning & development.

Mark is also an experienced non-executive director. Holding various positions in the private and charity sector including being Chair of High Life Highland, one of the largest charities in the Highlands of Scotland.

Mark has a passion for sharing his love of nature and inspiring others to love and care for our natural environment and brings his passion and skills to help RZSS build a world that protects, values and loves nature.

Board Member - Christopher Wright Cmgr MCMI CHA

Christopher is a Chartered Manager who has worked with the John Lewis Partnership (JLP) for the last 35 years. Most recently he was Deputy Branch Manager in the Glasgow shop and has previously worked in Edinburgh and Reading. He has also been involved in the senior democratic body of the Partnership acting as chair of its Steering Committee for 7 years, where his role involved influencing the Board and senior leaders to deliver the Partnership’s purpose.

Christopher has had a connection with Edinburgh Zoo for approximately 50 years, since first visiting as a child with his Granny.

In 2018 he completed a 6-month charity secondment with Edinburgh Zoo and Highland Wildlife Park, organised through the JLP Golden Jubilee Trust. Since then, he has been a member of the Business Advisory Group, bringing a commercial eye and customer focus, and supported the leadership team with their plans to reopen the parks after Covid.

Christopher is married to Gillian and they have a Cavalier King Charles spaniel called Obi (Obi Wag Kenobi to give him his full name). He loves photography, sport, travel and Star Wars if you hadn’t guessed. Japan and Singapore have been recent holiday highlights.