The Cetacean Specialist Group was established in the 1960s. For a brief period in the 1970s it was merged with others to form the Marine Mammal Specialist Group. It was then reformed in 1979 and has continued since that time in approximately the same form.
Key Positions
Co-Chairs
Gianna Minton (2024-present)
Louella Dolar (2026-present)
Deputy Chair
Gill Braulik (2020-present)
Emeritus Chair
Randall Reeves (2026-present)
Regional Coordinators
| South America: | Joanna Alfaro & Camila Domit |
| Mexico & Central America: | Lorenzo Rojas-Bracho |
| Asia: | Louisa Ponnampalam & Danielle Kreb |
| Oceania: | Rochelle Constantine & Cara Masere |
| Africa & Middle East: | Tim Collins |
| Europe: | Giuseppe Notarbartolo di Sciara |
Conservation Planning co-chairs
Barbara Taylor
Grant Abel
Cetacean Red List Authority
Barbara Taylor and Alex Zerbini (Red List Authority Coordinators)
Randy Reeves
Joanna Alfaro
Elanor Bell
Gill Braulik
Bob Brownell
Frank Cipriano
Tim Collins
Justin Cooke
Peter Corkeron
Enrique Crespo
Greg Donovan
Mike Double
Tilen Genov
Phil Hammond
Sonja Heinrich
Thomas Jefferson
Jeremy Kiszka
Gianna Minton
Ada Natoli
Lorenzo Rojas-Bracho
Brian Smith
Els Vermeulen
Randy Wells
Official IUCN observer to the International Whaling Commission
Justin Cooke & Lorenzo Rojas-Bracho
Part-time Programme Officer
Nur Lisa Mansor
Website Managers
Gill Braulik, Gianna Minton and Nur Lisa Mansor
| Former Chairs | Former Deputy Chairs |
|---|---|
| – | 2020-2024: Gianna Minton |
| 1997-2026: Randy Reeves | 1998-2023: Giuseppe Notarbartolo di Sciara |
| 1991-1997: Steve Leatherwood | 1992-1997: Randall R. Reeves |
| 1984-1991: Bill Perrin | 1989-1991: Steve Leatherwood |
| 1979-1984: Mike Tillman | – |
| 1960s: Masaharu Nishiwaki | 1960s: Sidney Brown |