Meaghan Brosnan

Chief Executive Officer at WildAid | Earthshot Prize Winner | National Geographic Explorer

Mountain View, California, United States

About

Meaghan Brosnan is an expert in the fields of fisheries management, compliance and enforcement with 15+ years experience in the field. She started her fisheries career as a Federal law enforcement officer in the U.S. Coast Guard operating in the Eastern Pacific and Alaska, and ultimately became the Deputy Chief of the Coast Guard’s Living Marine Resource Enforcement Program. She also has non-profit advocacy experience with The Pew Charitable Trusts’ Ending Illegal Fishing campaign, where she developed technology and policy solutions for illegal, unreported, and unregulated fishing in coastal Africa and throughout the Pacific. She earned her Bachelor’s degree from the U.S Coast Guard Academy and her Masters in Marine Affairs from the University of Washington’s School of Marine Affairs.

Experience

  • WildAid (Full-time · 8 yrs 10 mos)
    • Chief Executive Officer
      Apr 2024 - Present · 2 yrs 4 mos

    • Chief Operating Officer
      Jul 2023 - Apr 2024 · 10 mos

    • Senior Director, Global Marine Program
      Jan 2023 - Aug 2023 · 8 mos

  • U.S. Coast Guard (9 yrs 8 mos)
    • Senior Reserve Officer, PACAREA Reserve Incident Management Assistance Team
      Oct 2019 - May 2023 · 3 yrs 8 mos

    • Reserve Logistics Department Head
      Oct 2015 - Oct 2019 · 4 yrs 1 mo

      Leads the 20-person department responsible for engineering, health service, finance and administrative support of 170+ Coast Guard Reservists.

    • Reserve Enforcement Division Chief
      Oct 2013 - Oct 2015 · 2 yrs 1 mo

      • Managing a regional Reserve Law Enforcement program, setting the direction for achievement of maritime law enforcement and security goals, and identifying/tracking key indicators of success. • Supervising a diverse team of 18 enlisted personnel and four officers, overseeing training, deployment readiness, professional development, completing evaluations, and providing professional mentoring to two subordinate junior officers.

  • Managing Director and Founder at Exulans
    Nov 2014 - Aug 2017 · 2 yrs 10 mos

    Exulans is an organization that promotes sustainability and conservation of fishery resources by providing pragmatic advice and strategic solutions to organizations concerned with ocean sustainability. Marine conservation strategy development and execution is our core skill, with an expertise in the field of fisheries compliance and enforcement.

  • Manager, Ending Illegal Fishing Project at The Pew Charitable Trusts
    May 2013 - Nov 2014 · 1 yr 7 mos

    • Managed a $23.5 million, five-year budget, nine U.S.-based Program Officers and Associates, and six international staff and consultants; recruited six people to the team. • Supervised three program staff in reviewing proposals, executing contracts worth $5.5 million, conducting research, and leading campaign projects. • Worked closely with the International Criminal Police Organization (INTERPOL), U.S. and international NGOs, and private U.S. and international satellite and analytics companies. • Represented the campaign before senior government officials in the United States, Southeast Africa, the Eastern Pacific, and the U.S. media including an interview on Marketplace Morning Report

  • U.S. Coast Guard (4 yrs)
    • Deputy Chief of Fisheries Enforcement
      May 2012 - May 2013 · 1 yr 1 mo

      • Led the team that crafted strategic policies and measurable performance goals in “Ocean Guardian,” the Coast Guard’s national multi-year and multi-tiered strategic plan for its $1.2 billion living marine resource (LMR) law enforcement program. • Coordinated the actions of a 20-person national team of Coast Guard LMR law enforcement professionals and oversaw a $650K discretionary budget to execute our strategic plan, “Ocean Guardian.” • Program Manager for the five Coast Guard Regional Fisheries Training Centers; oversaw the expenditure of $1.4 million dollars, sponsored two multi-year studies to analyze and improve program-level training of fisheries enforcement officers, and aligned recommendations with the agendas of 12 external stakeholder programs. • Assistant liaison officer to U.S. Department of State Office of Marine Conservation; provided input on regulatory compliance that was used in the development of Regional Fishery Management Organization conservation measures and international instruments. • Supervised and mentored three mid-level officers.

    • Program & Policy Analyst, Office of Living Marine Resources Enforcement
      Jun 2009 - Jun 2012 · 3 yrs 1 mo

      • Created a fisheries intelligence “Community of Interest,” that led to a strategic partnership across eight U.S. Government agencies and improved intelligence support to fisheries managers and enforcement officers. • Regularly briefed an inter-agency team of senior officials on complex domestic and international fisheries law enforcement case facts, Coast Guard authority, jurisdiction, policy end-game solutions, and geo-political implications in the Eastern Pacific and Gulf of Mexico.