Chief Executive Officer

Russell Reynolds Associates has been exclusively engaged to lead this search. Given the need for confidentiality throughout this process, prospective candidates are invited to reach out directly to RRA’s search consultants at  with a resume and brief explanation of interest. All nominations and expressions of interest are welcome and should be sent to the Russell Reynolds team. All inquiries and discussions will be considered strictly confidential.

*** This role is being recruited by a third party agency, Russell Reynolds Associates. To be considered for this role, you must apply directly at  . Applications submitted to the Monterey Bay Aquarium website will not be considered.**
* THE OPPORTUNITY

The Monterey Bay Aquarium is poised and ready, building on its legacy of fearless innovation and leadership, to create exceptional experiences that inspire, connect, and promote action for ocean conservation. With a steadfast commitment to the health of the Earth’s ocean and the communities that depend on it, the Aquarium is seeking a dynamic and visionary CEO to lead the organization into its next phase of growth and impact, charting a course forward to be ever more effective while always centering a commitment to its mission, vision, and values.

The Monterey Bay Aquarium is unlike any other aquarium in the world and has a unique opportunity to advance ocean conservation under the leadership of its next CEO.

Since opening 40 years ago, the Monterey Bay Aquarium has helped people experience and appreciate the ocean, deepening their understanding of its complex and fragile nature and taking action to protect its future. Healthy ocean ecosystems are critical to enabling life on Earth to exist, and our very survival depends on them. There is much to celebrate in the progress the Monterey Bay Aquarium has made over the past decades, but winning the race to slow the pace of climate change and human impact on the ocean demands more of all of us.

This is an opportunity to step up. Using the trusted voice and strong brand they have built over time, the Monterey Bay Aquarium will harness its momentum to transform public understanding and action.

Under Julie Packard’s leadership since its founding, the Monterey Bay Aquarium has accomplished extraordinary programmatic, organizational, and scientific growth and achievement. The Aquarium has a remarkable heritage and, at the same time, the opportunity for future impact is significant and the ocean’s need for a bold champion has never been greater. The next CEO will have the opportunity to lead the Aquarium forward as it charts a course through this historic period of change and opportunity, and to lead into the next frontier of innovation for the future of the ocean.

The Monterey Bay Aquarium is an internationally recognized, mission-driven organization dedicated to advancing ocean conservation on a global scale. The Aquarium is a leader in science education and a voice for ocean conservation through extraordinary experiences and exhibitions, as well as comprehensive programs to promote science-based conservation solutions and public policy. Everything they do works in concert to protect the future of this blue planet.

The Aquarium engages more than two million visitors and program participants annually.

"After 40 years, the dream that sparked the creation of Monterey Bay Aquarium stands:
We wanted to inspire people to fall in love with ocean life. The Aquarium will continue to amaze and delight families from all over the world, spark a love of science and nature in young people, offer a sanctuary for wonder and reflection, and become an experience infused in the lifetime memories of millions of people."

Founded by a group of marine scientists, local residents, and members of the David and Lucile Packard Foundation, the Monterey Bay Aquarium is a stunning showcase for the habitats and ocean life of one of the world's richest marine regions. The Aquarium’s mission is more urgent now than ever before. Worldwide, the ocean is in peril, its wildlife and habitats threatened by an ever-increasing pace of human activity.

The Monterey Bay Aquarium believes that humankind can…