After heading the San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance for nearly six years, Paul Baribault announced Tuesday evening he was stepping down to “pursue my next adventure.”
The Board of Trustees for the nonprofit conservation organization, which runs the San Diego Zoo and the San Diego Zoo Safari Park, said it was launching a national search for Baribault’s replacement. In a news release, the board also said it was elevating its chief operating officer, Shawn Dixon, to serve as interim president and CEO.
After joining the organization in 2019, Baribault oversaw the creation of vast new exhibits, including a 3.2-acre explorers’ basecamp that replaced the former Children’s Zoo, and helped bring about the return of giant pandas to San Diego from China. The two parks also attracted record crowds.
“Having led a remarkable team to put the organization on a new and exciting path, and having had the opportunity to see it succeed in remarkable ways, the time feels right for me to pass the baton and pursue my next adventure,” he said.
Before he came to San Diego, Baribault was a vice president at The Walt Disney Studios and had served as general manager of Disneynature, which produces nature films. He was a member of several conservation groups and served as chair of the Jane Goodall Institute’s board of directors in 2021, according to a biography posted on the zoo’s website.
“Paul came to SDZWA at a pivotal time as the COVID pandemic hit, and over the past five years, has helped accomplish our goal of furthering our mission and building our reputation as one of the leading wildlife care and conservation organizations in the world,” board Chairman Steven Simpson said in a statement.
In Baribault’s second year with the organization, the nonprofit rebranded itself, changing its name to San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance from San Diego Zoo Global. In addition to operating the zoo and Safari Park, the alliance is involved in conservation projects around the world, collaborating in field work in partnerships around the globe.
“During his tenure, Baribault helped the San Diego Zoo and Safari Park achieve record attendance with nearly 6 million visitors annually, while driving more investments into our facilities and our conservation work, all while significantly improving the organization’s financial health,” the alliance news release said.
He is credited with spearheading a strategy that aligns the organization’s work around eight conservation hubs spread across six continents and pioneering “new ways of thinking about guest experiences” and how the organization should share its knowledge about wildlife, officials said.
During Baribault’s tenure, the zoo opened the $88 million Wildilfe Explorers Basecamp in 2022, a sprawling mix of indoor and outdoor areas. In 2024, the zoo welcomed two giant pandas from China — Yun Chuan and Xin Bao — under a 10-year conservation agreement. The zoo has agreed to pay $1 million a year in exchange for the pair, which they hope will produce panda cubs.
It was the first time the San Diego Zoo had cared for the popular black-and-white bears since the animals were returned to China in April 2019.
Another large project launched under Baribault’s term is still underway at Safari Park: a new elephant habitat called Elephant Valley that is under construction. Officials expect to open it in 2026.
Baribault said he joined the organization to help it become a leader in wildlife experiences and conservation and help pioneer biodiversity efforts in the 21st century. In his statement, he said he remains “in awe of what we did together.”
He also expressed admiration for alliance team members. “What I got to see in them was a broad realization of how special what they bring to the world is, and how important they are in helping the world better understand our natural environment,” he said.
The board thanked Baribault for his “dedicated service and commitment to the mission” and said they appreciated his desire to advise the board and leadership team during the transition.
Baribault, 51, was paid $1.86 million in 2023, up from $1.31 million in 2022, according to data filed with the IRS and compiled by ProPublica.
In 2020, in his first full year of employment at the alliance, Baribault was paid $820,768, documents show.
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