Jane Smart

Biographical Information
"Jane will be taking a lead role in the IUCN secretariat’s engagement in Species, Invasive Species, Protected Areas and Marine. She will also take the lead on the implementation on the Thematic Area “Conserving Biodiversity” of the new Programme and will be responsible for ensuring effective collaboration between the Secretariat and the Species Survival Commission (SSC) and World Commission on Protected Areas (WCPA) as well as Members and Partners. She will retain her current role as Head of the Species Programme.

"Jane is currently the Head of the Species Programme, part of the heartland of IUCN. She is responsible for around 28 staff based in Switzerland, Washington DC, and Cambridge, UK. The Species Programme, working closely with the SSC and IUCN Red List Partners, is responsible for compiling, managing and producing The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species™ and other key products, and takes the lead for the Union on species conservation issues.

"Jane joined IUCN in 2005. She trained as a botanist and began her professional life as a plant ecologist. During a period of working with local government and local NGOs the idea of an organization to save plants began to take root – and in 1989 Jane helped found Plantlife International, becoming its first Chief Executive. In 1993, she initiated Planta Europa, the network of organizations working for plant conservation across Europe.

"Prior to joining the IUCN secretariat Jane was Chair of the IUCN UK National Committee, as well as a long standing member of the IUCN SSC Plant Conservation Committee. In 2003 she was awarded the OBE for services to international conservation. "

Affiliations

 * Green Alliance: Individual Members
 * Committee, Cambridge Conservation Initiative