Leadership team

Nick joined Devon Wildlife Trust as CEO in September 2023. For the 22 years prior to that, Nick worked for the RSPB in a variety of operational roles. After beginning his career on the Dorset heaths, Nick established the RSPB’s flagship Rainham Marshes nature reserve alongside the Thames in East London. He then went on to manage the RSPB’s nature reserve estate in Northern England, before moving to Devon in 2015 as Regional Director for the South West and then Southern England. Immediately prior to joining DWT, Nick was acting Director for RSPB England.

Nick grew up on the family farm in Wiltshire, an upbringing which both sparked his connection with nature, and has given him a close affinity to the farming community and the vital role that nature-friendly farming needs to play in restoring UK biodiversity.

Nick lives in Exeter with his wife and daughter. He is a keen marathon runner and with his family, loves being outdoors and active amongst nature. After all those years with the RSPB, it is perhaps little surprise that he loves birdwatching too!

Peter has spent over 25 years working in the conservation sector in Devon. He finds the habitats and species supported in the county infinitely inspiring.

Peter has diverse experience developing and delivering conservation and land management projects in the South West. He was involved in one of the earliest landscape scale projects – the Greater Horseshoe Bat Project in 1999 and with the Reconnecting the Culm project for Butterfly Conservation. His first role at DWT was as project manager of Working Wetlands in the first stages of the Trust's landscape scale conservation of Culm grassland. Peter has since played a key role in supporting species reintroduction programmes including the first licenced beaver reintroduction to England.

Peter has a practical land management background, which means that development of DWT's nature recover programmes are well grounded and achievable. Peter works with and has established a wide range of partnerships in the county which are achieving high impact projects through collaboration and sharing knowledge and skills.

Emma has worked in conservation in Devon since the 1990s and is currently Director of Nature Based Solutions.  She oversees the trading subsidiary, Devon Wildlife Consultants (Devon Wildlife Consultants) as well as the large multi-year, landscape scale conservation projects helping the various teams to meet the challenges of driving nature’s recovery across Devon.  Emma works with many organisations county-wide and regionally, is a member of the North Devon Biosphere Partnership and chairs the North Devon Catchment Partnership.

Emma has lived and worked in Devon for many years, drawn to its landscapes and natural diversity. She has overseen the delivery of a wide variety of projects and initiatives at DWT from farm advice and species recovery to education and community engagement.  She is a member of both the Institute of Public Relations and Chartered Institute of Marketing.

Penny has been a senior manager within the voluntary sector for 20 years, working in the conservation, charities development and health and social care sectors. She has been at DWT for twelve years and her Director roles at the Trust have encompassed marketing, fundraising, membership, campaigning, governance, finance and HR. She is currently responsible for leading the Trusts’ core work to engage people in nature’s recovery, including our new Wilder Communities and Discover Nature teams. This takes her back to a focus on empowering people and communities, which is where she started in the sector as the Chief Executive of a Council for Voluntary Service.

Penny is passionate about conservation and social justice. She believes that transformation happens when enough people care and act – that small actions have big impacts and that, through small, daily choices, we all have the power to change the world.

Louise joined DWT in November 2022, following twenty-five years in various senior roles in the Criminal Justice system.   After undertaking her Degree in Criminology, her leadership career led her in a specific direction.  This was both challenging and complex and she achieved senior status through various Senior Development Programmes, whilst also gaining a Masters in Criminology, Penology and Leadership at the University of Cambridge.  Having grown up in mid-Wales and having a love for wildlife, rivers and marine life, she decided to transition her career into one that aligned with her long desire to actively change society’s approach to conservation.  She believes in the value of coaching others to be their best and has recently qualified as an Executive Coach.

Louise is passionate about well-being and practices yoga, meditation and enjoys wild swimming.  She firmly believe in fairness and inspiring change across wide audiences.  She is looking forward to using her leadership skills within DWT to make a positive and measurable difference.