Fabienne McLellan was overcome by wanderlust at an early age. She travelled to numerous countries and lived in Vancouver, San Diego, Melbourne and London. She has been back in her home country of Switzerland since 2014.

Fabienne McLellan gained many years of professional experience in the financial sector and completed a Bachelor’s Degree in Communication and Business at the University of Applied Sciences for Business Administration in Zurich and a Master’s Degree in Environment Conservation and Sustainability at Monash University in Australia. She joined OceanCare as a volunteer in 2009 and became a permanent team member in 2014 after returning from London, where she gained professional experience in ocean campaigning. At OceanCare, she worked on Public Relations as well as on the animal and species conservation programme. In 2016 she started working on the marine plastic pollution issue and in 2018, she followed in Sigrid Lüber’s footsteps as Co-Director of International Relations.

Since 2021, Fabienne McLellan has been a member of the Steering Committee of the Sea Turtle Rescue Alliance founded by OceanCare and Dr. Claire Petros, and advises the international sea turtle alliance on policy issues.

At the beginning of 2022, Fabienne McLellan took over the operational and strategic management of OceanCare as Managing Director. With her in-depth expertise, passionate commitment and excellent communication skills, she combines all the abilities needed to successfully lead the organisation into the future.

Fabienne McLellan continues to be responsible for the content of the plastics programme and – together with Nicolas Entrup – for the animal and species conservation programme. Working on international policy processes within international fora also remains a focal point of her work. Together with OceanCare’s policy experts, she works on the process leading to a UN High Seas Treaty, develops strategies to curb marine pollution caused by plastic and noise, participates in the realignment of conventions such as that of the International Whaling Commission, and advocates for a consistent implementation of the objectives of multilateral environmental agreements including corresponding sanctions for treaty violations.