Susan Millward

Susan was appointed chief executive officer of AWI in January 2023, having served in various roles at the organization since 2003, including director of the marine animal program and executive director.

Animals have been a big part of Susan’s life since her childhood in England—first in rural Cheshire and then along the southwest coast—with rescued cats, hamsters, rabbits, goldfish, and a dog. After obtaining a BSc in environmental health and an MBA from the University of Wales, Susan worked for the US Navy to oversee environmental compliance with EU regulations at its UK bases. Upon emigrating to the United States, she worked with the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, researching and drafting its first Spill Prevention, Control and Countermeasure Plan, and later for environmental engineering firms on a variety of projects, while volunteering at animal shelters, at a bird sanctuary, and on beach/river clean ups.

Susan has represented AWI in numerous meetings at the United Nations and meetings involving the negotiation and refinement of international wildlife protection agreements such as the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), the International Whaling Commission, and the Convention on Biological Diversity. In addition to being AWI’s executive director and CEO, Susan serves on the boards of Monitor Caribbean, which works closely with AWI to preserve the biodiversity of the Wider Caribbean region, and the Species Survival Network, which works to strengthen wildlife protections established through CITES.

In her downtime, Susan birdwatches, follows the activities of a local beaver family, fosters cats for a Northern Virginia shelter, and volunteers with her son Andrei’s scout troop.