Joe Smith, Ph.D.

Panthera Executive Vice President for Conservation Actions

As the Executive Vice President for Conservation Actions, Dr. Joseph Smith oversees Panthera’s conservation interventions worldwide and shapes the organisation’s Species and Regional Programs.

With a background in Zoology, Joe joined Panthera in 2009 as Director of the Tigers Forever Program, where he managed 20 field projects with 14 partner organizations across six countries. During his time with the Tiger Program, he built and led a diverse team of international experts in law enforcement, conservation technology, and research science.

Before joining Panthera, Joe conducted expeditions to the rainforests of Peru and Ecuador, fueling his lifelong passion for wildlife conservation. Returning to the UK, he furthered his studies with a Master’s degree in Wild Animal Biology at the Royal Veterinary College and Institute of Zoology before embarking on an extended period of fieldwork in Asia.

Supported by Panthera’s Kaplan Scholarship Program, Joe completed his Ph.D. research at Imperial College London where he focused on large-scale camera trap and occupancy surveys in central Sumatra to better understand and protect tigers in human-dominated landscapes.