THE head of London Zoo has has quit amid an investigation into “unacceptable workplace behaviour”.
Matthew Gould, 54, has stepped down from his role as chief executive of the Zoological Society of London (ZSL).
Gould was appointed as CEO in September 2022 and previously held roles at the NHS, Downing Street and was a British ambassador to Israel.
Following his resignation, his LinkedIn bio has been updated to say he is “plotting my next move”.
The chair of trustees for ZSL, Jim Smith, wrote a letter to staff seen by The Times that said Gould had left the role before an investigation into his behaviour had concluded.
It said the “investigation into claims of unacceptable workplace behaviour” found Gould’s conduct had fallen “below the standards we expect”.
“We are committed to living up to our values at every level of the organisation and ensuring a safe, respectful and inclusive workplace for everyone,” the letter added.
But it remains unclear what constituted this behaviour that has led to his resignation.
Kathryn England, formerly the chief operating officer for ZSL, will take the reins as interim chief executive throughout 2026.
Smith added they would be “focused on leading an organisation with honesty, integrity and accountability at its heart”.
A spokesperson for ZSL said the investigation was not related to the charity’s finances and they wouldn’t be sharing further details on an “internal matter”.
They said: “This matter was addressed promptly and appropriately, and there are no wider implications for our staff or operations.
“ZSL’s work continues unchanged and we are committed to maintaining a culture that lives up to our values and ensuring the organisation continues to be a supportive and respectful place to work.”
The wildlife charity, which operates both London Zoo and Whipsnade Zoo in Bedfordshire, launched a voluntary redundancy scheme last month in a bid to cut costs by £2 million a year.
They cited the end of USAID funding, cut to foreign aid spending and the cost-of-living crisis as the reasons behind the decision.
At the time, Gould said that he was “doing everything possible” to avoid compulsory redundancies in the future.
Gould was a British ambassador to Israel for five years before working in the Cabinet Office and the Department for Culture, Media and Sport.
He then went on to hold senior NHS roles and became the first chief executive of NHSX in 2019.
Gould was Director General for Digital Transformation at the Department of Health and Social Care between 2019 and 2022.
During this time he was also National Director for Digital Transformation at NHS England before he became chief executive of ZSL.
He previously told The Times that the role was one he had “coveted for decades”.
Gould is also a close friend of George Osbourne and spoke at the former Conservative chancellor’s wedding in 2023.
