Matthew Gould, 54, stepped down from his post last week as chief executive of the Zoological Society of London (ZSL), which manages London Zoo and Whipsnade Zoo, the Guardian has reported.
The former Downing Street official and British ambassador to Israel had been in the role since September 2022.
He has since updated his LinkedIn profile, indicating he is ‘plotting my next move’.
ZSL chair of trustees Jim Smith informed staff in a letter that an “investigation into claims of unacceptable workplace behaviour found that Matthew Gould’s conduct fell below the standard we expect.
“He resigned before this investigation had concluded.
“We are committed to living up to our values at every level of the organisation and ensuring a safe, respectful, and inclusive workplace for everyone.”
Mr Smith said that ZSL’s executive director had taken over as interim chief executive, and was “focused on leading an organisation with honesty, integrity, and accountability at its heart”.
“ZSL’s work continues unchanged and we are committed to maintaining a culture that lives up to our values and ensuring the organisation continues to be a supportive and respectful place to work.”
Before his stint at ZSL, Mr Gould had an extensive career in senior roles across Whitehall.
After serving as ambassador to Israel, he worked in the Cabinet Office and the Department for Culture, Media, and Sport.
In 2019, he became the first chief executive of NHSX, a unit set up to drive the digital transformation across NHS health and social care, playing a key role in constructing the NHS Covid pass.
The ZSL charity stressed that the investigation was not related to finances.
It said: “This investigation was not related to ZSL’s financial operations.
“This matter was addressed promptly and appropriately, and there are no wider implications for our staff or operations.
“We are not sharing any further details on an internal matter.”
Mr Gould is a long-time friend of former chancellor George Osborne, with the pair having met at the chess club at St Paul’s School in west London.
He spoke at Mr Osborne’s wedding to Thea Rogers in 2023.
Shortly after joining ZSL, Mr Gould said he had ‘coveted’ the role for decades.
He said: “When a friend and fellow ambassador was appointed to the role a few years ago, any joy I felt for him was obliterated by a sharp jealousy that he had got my job.”
