ZSL

The Client and Brief

MRG was appointed by the Zoological Society London in early 2023 to appoint an Estates Transformation Director. ZSL is preparing to approach its 200th anniversary in 2026, and as part of its strategic vision plans, it needed an Estates Transformation Director to plan the frameworks and strategic directions for two of its UK centres, Regents Park and ZSL Whipsnade, for the next 10-20 years.

The brief for this campaign was to secure leading project transformation directors from comparable industries with key skills in development management and working on large, complex mixed-use masterplans within listed buildings, conservation and protected landscapes.

The Estates Transformation Director was to take the lead on the major elements of the masterplan programme and implement this from concept to delivery for both sites. This included development options for the Zoo, such as the London Zoo Biome, accommodation at Whipsnade Zoo and the Biodiversity Institute and Campus.

Our Process

MRG worked closely with the ZSL team to design a dual-branded candidate brochure. This and the overarching marketing campaign performed well, with over 6,000 views. 150 candidates were approached, we received and reviewed 20 applications, and ten were shortlisted.

The Outcome

We successfully appointed a candidate from a comparable background with 5+ years’ experience as a Project Director, specific executive-level experience in Estates & Strategic Planning, and several other senior/executive-level positions.
This was a successful campaign for us, with a great outcome. Following this, we have since made placements for two more campaigns at ZSL.

The Campaign in Numbers

150 +
CANDIDATES APPROACHED
20 +
Applications
10 +
CANDIDATES SHORTLISTed
6087
LinkedIn impressions

ZSL Estates Transformation Director