Former Diplomat Matthew Gould Quits London Zoo Amid Investigation into Workplace Behaviour
The Zoological Society of London (ZSL), which operates London zoo and Whipsnade zoo in Bedfordshire, has lost its top boss amid allegations of "unacceptable workplace behaviour". Matthew Gould, a 54-year-old former diplomat who is a close friend of George Osborne, resigned as chief executive last week after an investigation into his conduct found that it fell below the standards expected by the organization.
Gould's departure comes at a difficult time for ZSL, which is facing financial cuts and looking to reduce costs. The organization had launched a voluntary redundancy scheme earlier this month in an effort to save £2m annually. Gould had previously stated that he could not rule out compulsory redundancies but was doing everything possible to avoid them.
According to reports, Gould's departure was prompted by the investigation into his workplace behaviour, which included complaints from staff members. ZSL's chair of trustees, Jim Smith, confirmed in a letter to staff that the investigation found Gould's conduct fell below the standards expected and that he resigned before it could be completed.
Smith stated that the organization is committed to living up to its values and ensuring a safe, respectful, and inclusive workplace for everyone. The current interim chief executive will lead the organization with honesty, integrity, and accountability at its heart.
Gould's past includes high-profile roles in government, including private secretary for foreign affairs in Downing Street and ambassador to Israel. He had previously spoken about the challenges of working under intense public scrutiny during the pandemic and stated that he could not see himself doing anything else besides his work at ZSL.
The Zoological Society of London (ZSL), which operates London zoo and Whipsnade zoo in Bedfordshire, has lost its top boss amid allegations of "unacceptable workplace behaviour". Matthew Gould, a 54-year-old former diplomat who is a close friend of George Osborne, resigned as chief executive last week after an investigation into his conduct found that it fell below the standards expected by the organization.
Gould's departure comes at a difficult time for ZSL, which is facing financial cuts and looking to reduce costs. The organization had launched a voluntary redundancy scheme earlier this month in an effort to save £2m annually. Gould had previously stated that he could not rule out compulsory redundancies but was doing everything possible to avoid them.
According to reports, Gould's departure was prompted by the investigation into his workplace behaviour, which included complaints from staff members. ZSL's chair of trustees, Jim Smith, confirmed in a letter to staff that the investigation found Gould's conduct fell below the standards expected and that he resigned before it could be completed.
Smith stated that the organization is committed to living up to its values and ensuring a safe, respectful, and inclusive workplace for everyone. The current interim chief executive will lead the organization with honesty, integrity, and accountability at its heart.
Gould's past includes high-profile roles in government, including private secretary for foreign affairs in Downing Street and ambassador to Israel. He had previously spoken about the challenges of working under intense public scrutiny during the pandemic and stated that he could not see himself doing anything else besides his work at ZSL.
! I mean, a former diplomat who's always been in high-profile roles just quits as head of London zoo amid all these workplace behaviour allegations... it's wild how quickly things can fall apart, especially when there's an investigation going on 
. Can you imagine having to navigate those financial cuts and staff redundancies while dealing with personal drama like this? I feel bad for the current interim CEO - they're gonna have their hands full trying to keep everything together 
. ZSL needs a fresh start ASAP, not just for themselves but also for the animals 
So I'm seeing this news about Matthew Gould quitting London zoo, and I gotta say, it's kinda shocking 
. As a huge animal lover, I love how zoos are supposed to be all about education and conservation, but if someone in charge is being really toxic 
, that just messes everything up.
We should be inspiring empathy for animals and people alike! 
And now London zoo has a leadership vacuum... what's gonna happen to the adorable pandas and monkeys? 
. Can't they just focus on saving animals instead of having office politics? 
Let's hope whoever takes over can make things right and create a more positive environment for everyone! 
he seemed like such a nice guy n all but i guess we can't make excuses 4 ppl who abuse their power n mess up the workplace 
zsl's gotta take responsibility n make sure they're creating a safe n respectful environment 4 everyone 
On the one hand, it's great that ZSL is taking steps to ensure everyone feels safe and respected. 
Wonder if this will affect the zoo's finances? They're already going through a tough time... 
anyway, i'm not surprised he got caught out, gould was always a bit of a mysterious figure to me, but i guess you can't hide behind diplomacy forever 
and now they're saying zsl is committed to living up to its values... yeah right 
let's see how that plays out.
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what if he was just trying to keep his job & didn't wanna deal w/ all that drama? 
. I mean, you'd think someone with Matthew Gould's background would know better 
. And to be honest, it's kinda weird that he was trying to avoid redundancies but then resigns before the investigation is even done 
. Guess you can't rule out personal circumstances getting in the way of professional conduct sometimes? Anyway, I do hope they find a new CEO soon and get back on track 
!
ZSL needs a fresh face ASAP, can't have their CEO making them look like a toxic workplace 