Senior Management Team

Andrew McLaughlin - Chief Executive Officer

Andrew started at GWT in September 2023, bringing considerable experience to the Trust as both a senior leader and Chief Executive. 

He was formerly Head of Communications at the National Trust and then General Manager of Kingston Lacy, a major National Trust property in Dorset, in addition to spending several years as Chief Executive at the University of Bath Students’ Union. Most recently Andrew was the Service Director for Strategy & Innovation at South Gloucestershire Council. He’s serves as a Trustee for The Forest of Avon Trust and leads on the local nature action plan as a parish councillor where he lives. He brings a wide mix of skills, knowledge and experience to the role of CEO, with a strong background in both the people and nature aspects of GWT’s charitable purpose.

Andrew spends as much time as possible outdoors, and has a passion for storytelling in the natural world, whether that is the amazing stories of wildlife and the natural world, or the places, histories and folklore that surround them. Like many, Andrew has become increasingly alarmed about the decline of nature in the UK and is determined to play an important role in supporting nature’s recovery in Gloucestershire and beyond.

Emma Hutchins - Director for Nature’s Recovery

Emma joined GWT in 2023. She leads the Trusts delivery of  work to stop and reverse wildlife declines in the county. She and her teams focus on enhancing and expanding our nature reserves and working with other land managers to deliver landscape scale changes across Gloucestershire and beyond. Emma is keen on collaborative working within and outside the sector, and appreciates the value of collecting and using evidence to inform action.

Emma has worked for conservation NGO’s for over 25 years both in the UK and overseas. She has a broad background in habitat management, species reintroduction and research, as well as strategic development, delivery and organizational governance.  

Emma is a Board Member of the Gloucestershire Local Nature Partnership (GLNP) and the Chair of the GLNP Nature Recovery Working Group. She is a Trustee of the recently formed charity Nature and Community. Emma enjoys spending time outdoors with friends and family. Campfires, den building and literally paddling her own canoe feature alongside a love of wide open spaces. 

Steve Elliott-Mead - Director of Finance and Facilities

Steve joined GWT in 2024, and leads on Finance and Facilities at the Trust. With over a decade of experience as a Finance Director, at a global company, Steve brings key experience and expertise to this crucial role, leading the management of all our resources – people, premises, IT and financial.

Steve and his team work to make sure that GWT functions as an organisation, providing the foundations that allow us to work towards our goals for wildlife in the county, facilitating our work to be as effective as possible at this crucial time for nature.

With a farming background and as a chairman of a local homeless charity, Steve brings varied experience to GWT. In his spare time Steve enjoys spending time with his two children, and playing or watching sports, he also volunteers at his son's cricket team. 

Juliet Hynes - Head of Evidence

Juliet has 20 years of experience working in ecological research and the conservation sector, having previously worked for the Wales Biodiversity Partnership and Natural England, and joined Gloucestershire Wildlife Trust as Nature Recovery Network Coordinator in 2018 to develop a methodology to model the Gloucestershire Nature Recovery Network (NRN). Now as Head of Evidence, Juliet’s ecological research background and experience developing large partnership projects is used to ensure that GWT is an evidence lead organisation. 

Hannah Lewis - Head of Supporter Development

Hannah joined GWT in 2011 and has undertaken various roles within the membership team during  her time with us, and now the Head of Supporter Development, Hannah has been responsible for developing and growing the membership base to where it is today. With now almost 28,000 members across the county and growing, supporters allow the Trust to carry out our vital work to ensure nature’s recovery. In her spare time when she isn’t out enjoying time in the outdoors with her two dogs, she enjoys making her own clothes.