International Rhino Foundation Staff & Advisors

Dr. Susie Ellis has been the Executive Director of the International Rhino Foundation for the past five years, overseeing the organization’s administration, fund raising, and field conservation programs in Africa and Asia. She is a member of the IUCN Asian Rhino Specialist Group and serves as its Red List Authority. Prior to joining IRF, she was a Vice President at Conservation International, focusing on terrestrial and marine biodiversity conservation in Asia. Dr. Ellis has worked on projects in more than 35 countries during the course of her career, with species ranging from penguins to pandas, and now, rhinos. She has written more than 100 technical papers, proceedings and book chapters. From 1991-2001, she was Senior Program Officer for IUCN’s Conservation Breeding Specialist Group (CBSG). Dr. Ellis also has worked at the Minnesota Zoo, Lincoln Park Zoo, San Diego Zoo and Sea World in various capacities. Growing up in San Diego, she credits a visit from the San Diego Zoo’s “Zoomobile” to her elementary school with inspiring a career working with animals.