Michael Macek came to the Saint Louis Zoo in 1990 and, over the past 35 years, has served as Bird Zoologist, Curator and Chief Operating Officer before assuming the role of Executive Director in 2019. Macek earned an MBA from Loyola University Chicago’s Quinlan School of Business. He started his career at Brookfield Zoo in Chicago and later with the Victoria Zoological Society in Australia before moving to St. Louis.

Macek is responsible for guiding the Zoo’s overall mission, vision, leadership and support across its core zoological and operational functions, including Facilities and Planning; Animal Care; Conservation and Education; and Revenue and Operations. He oversees all U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) accreditation standards and certifications.

Macek has been an active professional member of the AZA throughout his tenure, serving on various advisory groups, program management teams and the AZA Ethics Board.