Animal Outlook’s Next Era – Welcome New Executive Director, Ben Williamson

Together with the rest of the board, it is my pleasure to announce Animal Outlook’s next Executive Director, Ben Williamson. When I decided to begin the transition out of the Executive Director role earlier this year and we began our search, we were looking for a leader who could build upon and enhance Animal Outlook’s unique identity, level of achievement, and innovation, and role within the broader movement. Ben stood out in a strong candidate pool for all of these qualities, and brings the skills, passion, and vision to lead Animal Outlook’s work for animals into the next era.

Animal Outlook’s team of passionate and highly skilled professionals have built hard-hitting undercover investigations, impact litigation, and other legal advocacy to strike at the heart of the cruel system of animal agriculture, farm transitions to move the supply side away from animals toward a future fueled by plants, and the science- and experience-driven vegan outreach, all of which works together to build a vegan world. I’m excited to see what Ben will do to build on this work and bring it forward to a new and bigger level of impact.

For those who aren’t familiar with Ben’s work, some highlights include:

• Over a decade of experience working for several of the world’s largest animal protection organizations.
• Originally from London, England, Ben began his animal advocacy career in 2012 in the press office at PETA UK, where he broke numerous stories and undercover investigations, including revealing the Queen’s involvement in cross-Channel pigeon racing.
• His journey with PETA continued as he moved to Los Angeles to serve as the organization’s Senior International Media Director, where he built relationships with journalists and exposed significant issues such as the Angora industry and the “monkey selfie” lawsuit. Ben helped shape public perception for PETA’s “pay-to-play” lawsuit against the US Fish & Wildlife Service, as well as lawsuits against the Miami Seaquarium and various roadside zoos accused of violating the Endangered Species Act.
• In 2019, Ben took on the role of US Programs Director at World Animal Protection in New York City. During his tenure, he collaborated with law enforcement to seize illegal bear bile products in Chinatown, resulting in substantial fines. He also led an investigation into the unlawful sale of baby turtles at reptile shows across the country. This led to venues canceling contracts with exhibitors and state health departments launching their own investigations.
• Ben joined Compassion in World Farming USA in 2021 as Executive Director. In this role, he oversaw the organization’s campaigns, food business engagement, and operations. He launched an investigation into the week-long shipping of calves from Hawai’i to the US mainland which was covered in the New York Times in 2024.
• Ben’s expertise and advocacy have earned him numerous television appearances on networks such as NBC, CNN, Fox News, CBS, and shows such as Good Morning America. He has also authored op-ed pieces for prominent publications such as USA Today, Newsweek, New York Daily News, and The Hill.

In Ben’s words, “I’m looking forward to leading and growing Animal Outlook, such a hard-hitting national vegan advocacy organization. As a long-time vegan myself, it’s my passion to work on vegan advocacy campaigns. I’ve been really impressed with how Animal Outlook’s programs work together through education and engagement, undercover investigations, legal advocacy, and farm transitions, capturing the full cycle of high-impact advocacy. I’m committed to drive that work forward. I’ll bring my experience as a leader in the movement with particular depth in campaigns and communications to hit those ambitious goals and bring new and bigger audiences to this work. I’m thrilled to be leading an organization and a team that aligns so closely with my values.”

As a board and a team, we are all looking forward to seeing what Ben will do at the helm of Animal Outlook. We want to do everything we can to set him up for success. Ben will be starting on October 1 and I will be staying on for a few weeks to help him build a solid foundation and will be remaining on the board and available in an advisory capacity thereafter. I’m excited to be able to announce this to a community of peers and supporters who are all working tirelessly for animals and to build a vegan world. In that spirit, I invite you all to reach out and welcome Ben Williamson to Animal Outlook (bwilliamson@animaloutlook.org).

With gratitude,
Cheryl Leahy
Executive Director/Board Member