In late 2015, at the third global meeting of the leadership of the IUCN Species Survival Commission in Abu Dhabi, I asked the Commission’s Group chairs what they wanted to achieve. As I was preparing a bid to head the Commission, my goal was to seek alignment between my vision and their expectations. The challenge ahead was monumental. The Species Survival Commission is the largest species expert network: it currently brings together over 10,000 members in 163 groups in 174 countries. Being able to deliver what the members wanted was paramount.
