Former IUCN Directors General
IUCN has benefited from the leadership of many illustrious personalities from various parts of the world. Former Directors General brought experience from organisations such as the World Bank, GIZ, universities and national governments in contributing to IUCN and its mission.
Grethel Aguilar
2023-Present (Costa Rica)
Bruno Oberle
2020-2023 (Switzerland)
Grethel Aguilar (acting)
2019-2020 (Costa Rica)
Inger Andersen
2015-2019 (Denmark)
Julia Marton-Lefèvre
2006-2014 (France, Hungary)
Ibrahim Thiaw (acting)
2006 (Mauritania)
Achim Steiner
2001-2006 (Brazil, Germany)
William Jackson (acting)
2001 (Australia)
Simon Stuart (acting)
2000-2001 (United Kingdom)
Maritta Koch-Weser
1999-2001 (Germany)
David McDowell
1994-1999 (New Zealand)
Martin Holdgate
1988-1994 (United Kingdom)
Kenton Miller
1983-1988 (USA)
Pierre Goeldlin (acting)
1982 (Switzerland)
Lee M. Talbot
1980-1982 (USA)
David Munro
1977-1980 (Canada)
Duncan Poore (acting)
1976-1977 (United Kingdom)
Gerardo Budowski
1970-1976 (Venezuela, Germany)
Joe Berwick
1966-1970 (United Kingdom)
Hugh Elliott
1963-1966 (United Kingdom)
Gerald Watterson
1962 (United Kingdom)
M.C. Bloemers
1959-1960 (Netherlands)
Tracy Philipps (acting)
1955-1958 (United Kingdom)
Jean-Paul Harroy
1948-1955 (Belgium)
IISD/ENB
Dr Bruno Oberle led as Director General of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) from July 2020 to June 2023. Before joining IUCN, Dr Bruno Oberle served in some of Switzerland’s most prestigious positions related to the environment, such as State Secretary for the Environment, and Director of the Federal Office for the Environment for Switzerland. Dr Oberle is a leading expert in the fields of sustainable resource management and green economy.