Jennifer Morris is The Nature Conservancy’s Chief Executive Officer. For the past 25 years, Morris has dedicated her life to protecting the environment for people and nature. She brings decades of global leadership, proven management skills, and a passion for conservation to the organization and its ambitious mission—conserving the lands and waters on which all life depends.
Almost 30 years ago, Jennifer was teaching in Namibia, with an eye on a career in public health. Years of working and living in a small community showed her that the health of each individual and each family was inextricably linked to the health of the environment. This realization propelled her to serve by working in economic development, and she went on to receive a master’s degree in international affairs from Columbia University with a focus on business development and micro-finance. After a short stint at Women’s World Banking, she joined Conservation International.
Jennifer was previously president at Conservation International, where she oversaw all programs across 29 countries and more than 600 million hectares of protected land. She developed some of CI’s most enduring programs, partnerships, and innovative strategies using business development as a tool to protect nature for the well-being of humanity. She led more than 1,000 staff comprising scientists, policy experts and passionate conservation professionals to implement cutting-edge initiatives and work with more than 2,000 diverse partners, from indigenous communities to multinational corporations.
Prior to her role as president, she was the chief operating officer and oversaw significant growth in budget and staff. At CI she also worked on the conservation enterprise team, oversaw the Global Conservation Fund, and managed the Verde Ventures program, whose business partners today employ nearly 60,000 local people in 14 countries with half a million hectares of important lands protected or restored. Jennifer has also led Conservation International’s Center for Environmental Leadership and Business, which partners with corporations to amplify conservation efforts and increase sustainability throughout supply chains.
Jennifer is a passionate storyteller, avid outdoors enthusiast, and mentor to the future generations of conservation leaders. She lives in Washington, D.C., with her husband and daughter.
