Professor Rosie Hails joins Vincent Wildlife Trust as incoming Chair of Trustees
Professor Rosie Hails, the Nature, Land and Evidence Director at National Trust, joins VWT’s Board of Trustees and will become VWT’s Chair of Trustees in December when current Chair, Professor Robbie McDonald, finishes his term.
We are delighted to welcome Rosie as a new Trustee for VWT and look forward to working closely with her now and when she takes on the role of VWT’s Chair of Trustees in December 2026.
Rosie is an ecologist and Nature, Land and Evidence Director at the National Trust, holding honorary chairs at Exeter and Cranfield Universities. Her role is to develop the Trust’s nature strategy, research portfolio and advice on science evidence relevant to the Trust’s decision making.
In this role she leads a number of teams focusing on a range of Nature Conservation topics and issues. She is also one of three directors of ‘Renew’ — a five-year ‘Changing the Environment’ programme, funded by the Natural Environment Research Council (NERC) and led by the University of Exeter and National Trust Partnership.
Rosie is also chair of Defra’s Biodiversity Expert Committee and on a number of advisory boards and was awarded an MBE for services to Environmental Research in 2000.
Rosie said, “I’m delighted to be joining VWT at such an important moment for mammal conservation. VWT has a strong reputation for combining robust science with practical action, and I’m very much looking forward to working with the Board and Team to help strengthen the evidence base, support innovation and ensure our work delivers lasting benefits for nature. It’s a privilege to be part of an organisation so clearly committed to positive change.”
Robbie added, “It is a pleasure to hand over the reins of the VWT Trustees to Rosie. As a leading ecologist and biodiversity scientist, Rosie brings exactly the expertise and commitment to evidence-led conservation that the Trust needs as it looks to the future.
“Over its 50-year history, the VWT has played a vital role in conserving and restoring mammals in Britain and Ireland. I am delighted to be handing over to Rosie as the Trust looks ahead to its next 50 years of ambitious, impactful conservation work.”