Jennifer Morris is Chief Executive Officer of The Nature Conservancy, a global conservation organization that partners with communities across the globe to overcome the barriers to climate and biodiversity solutions. Jennifer leads over 4,000 global staff working together to develop breakthrough tools and ideas, amplify local knowledge, influence decision-making, and forge new paths to funding in pursuit of a world where people and nature thrive.

For more than 25 years, Jennifer 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 (CI), where 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. Prior to her role as president, she was CI’s chief operating officer and oversaw significant growth in budget and staff. 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.