Chief Executive Officer, Johannesburg Zoo
A qualified civil engineer, Jennifer specialised in transportation before joining the zoo in November 2003. She ran Durban’s bus operations and transport for KwaZulu-Natal province, before moving to an airline and then into corporate banking, along the way acquiring an MBA.
‘The zoo fits well with my background,” she says. ‘Much of my work here is to develop infrastructure. Marketing for the buses was similar to getting visitors for the zoo. The bank helped me understand customer service and how money works, so my skills complement what the rest of the staff do.”
She is determined that, by the time the soccer World Cup comes to South Africa in 2010, the zoo will be a world-class venue. ‘People will stay an extra night in Jo’burg just to visit us. They’ll see things here they won’t be able to see in places like the Kruger park — the biodiversity of Africa, the smaller creatures, the highly endangered animals. We’ll be keeping a mix of exotic animals, but we’ll be concentrating on African species.
‘The zoo has four core pillars: conservation, research, education and entertainment but, to survive, it must be a place where people come to relax, learn and have fun! We have a lot of exhibitions and special events.”