Meet the Team
Our website is in ten languages: English, Arabic, Chinese, French, German, Japanese, Korean, Portuguese, Russian and Spanish. Our regional researchers are based in Africa, Asia and the Pacific, Europe and Central Asia, North America, Latin America and the Middle East (Team members in some regions may not be listed below). They draw global attention to the human rights impacts (positive and negative) of companies in their region, seek responses from companies when civil society raises concerns, and establish close contacts with grassroots NGOs, local businesspeople, and others. We have offices in London and New York.
The Resource Centre is an independent non-profit: in the UK we are a registered Charity in England & Wales (no. 1096664). In the USA we are a tax-exempt non-profit organization under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code.
Africa & Middle East
Africa & Middle East Team
Aliou Diouf
Francophone Africa Researcher & Representative (الموقع: Dakar, Senegal)
Aliou Diouf
Francophone Africa Researcher & Representative (الموقع: Dakar, Senegal)
Aliou was educated at Graduate Institute of Intl. & Development Studies in Geneva (Switzerland) where he obtained a Ph.D. in Intl. Relations with Int. Criminal & Humanitarian Law as specialisation, and a Master's (LLM) in Intl. Law & Human Rights Law at Gdansk University (Poland). He also earned degrees in International Law from the University of Helsinki (Finlande), the Geneva International Peace Research Institute (GIPRI) and the United Nations Institute for Disarmament Research (UNIDIR) in Geneva. Aliou worked as a legal intern for the Intl. Criminal Tribual for Rwanda (ICTR) in Arusha (Tanzania) and interned at the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights in Geneva. Aliou is a lawyer and a Human Rights Defender who worked previously with different Human Rights NGOs and the public office for refugees in Geneva. Aliou is a national of Senegal.
Manson Gwanyanya
Researcher & Representative for South & Anglophone Africa (الموقع: Johannesburg, South Africa)
Manson Gwanyanya
Researcher & Representative for South & Anglophone Africa (الموقع: Johannesburg, South Africa)
Manson Gwanyanya is the Researcher & Representative for South & Anglophone Africa based in Johannesburg. Manson is a qualified lawyer with experience in general human rights litigation, including, but not limited to immigration, refugee law, land, housing as well as openness & accountability. He completed his articles of clerkship at the Legal Resources Centre (‘LRC’) in Johannesburg in December 2018. Before this, he was a Legal Researcher with the LRC’s migration and refuges unit. Manson also worked as a Researcher in the Socio and Economic Rights Programme (ESR) at the South African Human Rights Commission and was a Lecturer at the Wits Law School. He obtained his LLB (Bachelor of Laws) and LLM (Masters) in Corporate Law as well as a Post Graduate Diploma in Environmental Law from Wits University. Manson has a strong passion for human rights law in general and access to justice for the poor and marginalized in particular.
Mathilde Stephanie Ngo Pouhe
Africa Research Assistant (الموقع: Scotland)
Mathilde Stephanie Ngo Pouhe
Africa Research Assistant (الموقع: Scotland)
M. Stephanie Ngo Pouhe has been appointed as research assistant for Africa. She is currently enrolled in a Ph.D. program in Energy and Mineral Resources Law and Policy at the Centre of Energy, Petroleum and Mineral Resources Law and Policy (CEPMLP) in Dundee, Scotland. She holds an LLM in Oil and Gas Law and Policy, a Master 1 in Business Litigation and Arbitration and a Bachelor in Political and Juridical Sciences.
Stephanie has developed research skills working on projects like the Reflection on an Energy Transition in Africa funded by Ukaid and the creation of legal database for natural and mineral resources regulations, project funded by the International Bar Association. Moreover, she participated in Environmental and Social Impacts Assessment of different oil and gas projects in Cameroon, like the FLNG (Floating Liquefied Natural Gas) conducted by Golar LNG, SNH (Société Nationale des Hydrocarbures). Her focus is on the social and human-rights aspects of the energy in developing countries with a special attention to Africa.
Americas
Americas Team
Andrea Betancourt
Administrative Coordinator for the Colombia Programme (الموقع: Bogotá, Colombia)
Andrea Betancourt
Administrative Coordinator for the Colombia Programme (الموقع: Bogotá, Colombia)
Andrea has a degree in Public Accounting and a postgraduate title in Tax Administration. Experience of 4 years as General Administrator in a private company. Independent accountant for 3 years and 2 years of experience in the area of Audit of last Control in the Internal Audit Unit of the Public Sector. In Bogota D.C. she has lived for the past 4 years working as an Accounting, Administrative and Audit Assistant at the level of non-profit organizations (NGOs), legal and natural persons. She has numerical and analytical skills, management of accounting programmes and cost centres, excellent management of the office package, good interpersonal relationships, and mastery of information technology and communication. Andrea is a Venezuelan citizen with a migrant permit in Colombia. Her native language is Spanish and has an average understanding of written English.
Andrea Marcela Velásquez Diaz
Administrative Assistant of the Colombia Programme (الموقع: Bogotá, Colombia)
Andrea Marcela Velásquez Diaz
Administrative Assistant of the Colombia Programme (الموقع: Bogotá, Colombia)
Andrea Marcela is a Logistics Technician and is finishing her studies in Industrial Engineering. She has 6 years of experience as Administrative Assistant and 3 years as Management Assistant in private sector companies. She has skills for the organization and development of programmed activities; knowledge in the area of human resources and talent and payroll, handling office package and technological means. Excellent interpersonal and communication skills. Native language, Spanish.
Fabián Andrés León Peñuela
Programme Manager, Researcher and Representative Colombia (الموقع: Bogotá, Colombia)
Fabián Andrés León Peñuela
Programme Manager, Researcher and Representative Colombia (الموقع: Bogotá, Colombia)
Fabián Andrés León Peñuela is the Programme Manager, Researcher and Representative of the Colombia Programme. Fabián Andrés León Peñuela has been with the BHRRC since 2019. He has a master’s degree in law with an emphasis on constitutional law, specialised in education and environmental management at the Universidad Distrital Francisco José de Caldas and in Justice, Victims and Peace Building at the Universidad Nacional de Colombia as well as Collective Memories, human rights and resistances specialization at Consejo Latinoamericano de Ciencias Sociales (CLACSO). He studied law at the National University of Colombia and economics and political science at the University of Montreal (Canada). He also has experience with migrant and refugee populations with whom he worked for more than 6 years in Canada. He has accompanied environmental and human rights training processes with indigenous and rural communities.
Helene Saadoun
Mexico, Central America and the Caribbean Researcher (الموقع: Mexico)
Helene Saadoun
Mexico, Central America and the Caribbean Researcher (الموقع: Mexico)
Helene joined the Resource Centre as Mexico, CA and the Caribbean Researcher in December 2023. She is a Uruguayan-French lawyer with over seven years of experience in gender, human rights, and access to justice for women, girls, and other vulnerable groups.
Previously, she worked at the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime in a gender and human rights project. She has worked with United Nations agencies, international organizations, government institutions, and civil society organizations on gender issues, gender-based violence, the protection of journalists and human rights defenders, and the criminal justice system in Mexico and the region. Helene holds an LL.M. in International Criminal Law from the University of Sussex and studies in gender, human rights, and access to justice. Her native tongues are Spanish and French. She is also fluent in English, is currently studying Portuguese, and has basic abilities in Japanese.
Mariana Franco
Mexico, Central America & Caribbean Representative (الموقع: Mexico)
Mariana Franco
Mexico, Central America & Caribbean Representative (الموقع: Mexico)
Mariana Franco is the Mexico, Central America and the Caribbean Researcher and Representative. Mariana is a highly experienced human rights lawyer who has spent over a decade working in positions related to international human rights law. She has served as a consultant for various ESCR projects and has implemented a USAID project focused on Access to Justice for Victims, with a particular emphasis on gender justice. She worked on the design and implementation of the Business and Human Rights Program of the Nationa Human Rights Commission. Mariana has played a crucial role in designing and implementing prompt reparation for victims of human rights violations in cases before the Interamerican Court and Interamerican Commission. She has also served as the Ombudsperson of a municipality in a state of Mexico.
As an academic, Mariana has taught as a University professor at the Universidad Iberoamericana, focusing on business and human rights. She holds an LL.M. in Economic Social and Cultural Rights from the University of Essex and was part of the Human Rights Clinic designing the implementation of ESCR in Colombia. Furthermore, Mariana holds an M.A. in Human Rights and Democracy from FLACSO and diplomas in Business law, and Human Trafficking focusing on children's rights. She also possesses an International Human Rights Law Certificate from the American University.
Marina Novaes
Brazil Researcher and Represenative (الموقع: São Paulo, Brazil)
Marina Novaes
Brazil Researcher and Represenative (الموقع: São Paulo, Brazil)
Marina is a lawyer and historian. Since 2003 she has worked in the areas of human rights, labour rights, social justice and migration, doing so at NGOs and public administration. She has trained public officials on child trafficking; led the Advanced Post for Humanized Services to Migrants (which later became a public policy); coordinated a project to prevent human trafficking in public schools; and coordinated the legal department of an NGO assisting South American immigrants and advocating for public policies on migration.
Marina also worked as a special advisor for the promotion of decent work in the City of São Paulo, coordinating the municipal policy to fight and eradicate slave labour and human trafficking. Together with stakeholders, she wrote the first Municipal Plan for the Eradication of Slave Labour.
She is a member of the editorial board of the Anti-Trafficking Review magazine, published by the Global Alliance Against Trafficking in Women (GAATW). She has authored various articles and books on human trafficking and forced labour.
She was educated at the University of São Paulo (master’s degree in social history) and Pontifical Catholic Univ. of São Paulo (Bachelor of Law). Marina's mother tongue is Portuguese; she is fluent in English and has a good understanding of Spanish. Marina is a national of Brazil.
Meagan Barrera
Meagan Barrera, North America Researcher & Representative (الموقع: New York, USA)
Meagan Barrera
Meagan Barrera, North America Researcher & Representative (الموقع: New York, USA)
Meagan joined the Resource Centre in September 2021 as the North America Researcher and Representative. She is a human rights and gender justice advocate and researcher who has collaborated extensively with grassroots communities to achieve systemic change and accountability for human rights abuses. Meagan has worked with the Women's International League for Peace and Freedom (WILPF) and MADRE to support grassroots partners in their work to achieve feminist peace and gender justice. With the Investor Alliance for Human Rights, she engaged investors to promote human rights and responsible business practices in their investment portfolios. She has also consulted with Inclusive Development International, Human Rights Watch, and the Clinton Foundation on various business and human rights issues. Meagan was an organizer for NARAL Pro-Choice America in New York and helped to set up the NARAL New York City Volunteer Action Council, where she served as Volunteer Deputy Director. Meagan holds a Master of International Affairs from Columbia University’s School of International and Public Affairs (SIPA) and a Bachelor of Science in Foreign Service from Georgetown University. Her native language is English, she is fluent in Spanish, has a good working knowledge of Portuguese. Meagan is a national of the United States.
Miguel Ángel Barboza López
South America Researcher and Representative (الموقع: Bogotá, Colombia)
Miguel Ángel Barboza López
South America Researcher and Representative (الموقع: Bogotá, Colombia)
Miguel joined the Resource Centre as a South America Researcher and Representative in 2023. He is a Peruvian lawyer with more than 10 years of experience in the Inter-American System of Human Rights, indigenous peoples and business and human rights. Miguel holds a Master's degree in International Human Rights Law (LL.M) from the University of Notre Dame in the United States of America (Magna Cum Laude).
Before joining the Centre, he was a visiting researcher at the Center for Law, Justice and Society (Dejusticia) in Colombia, a lawyer at the Executive Secretariat of the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) and as a human rights lawyer at EarthRights International. Currently, he is also a project coordinator of the thematic lines of business and human rights and indigenous peoples in the Rule of Law Programme for Latin America of the Konrad Adenauer Foundation.
Silvana Vanessa Mena Hernández
Mexico, Central America & the Caribbean Research Assistant (الموقع: Monterrey, Mexico)
Silvana Vanessa Mena Hernández
Mexico, Central America & the Caribbean Research Assistant (الموقع: Monterrey, Mexico)
Silvana joined the Resource Centre as an intern in 2021 in the Mexico, Central America & The Caribbean region. Subsequently, she became a Research Assistant for the region. She holds a Bachelor's Degree in International Relations from the University of Monterrey and a Diploma in International and Comparative Studies from Sciences Po Toulouse. During her studies, she worked on coordinating development programs for infants in marginalized areas in her city. Additionally, she was an Undergraduate Research Assistant at the Human Rights and Business Institute of the University of Monterrey; now she is a Consultant for the Institute. Her mother tongue is Spanish, and she is fluent in English and advanced in French.
Vitória Dell'Aringa Rocha
Latin America Researcher (الموقع: São Paulo, Brazil)
Vitória Dell'Aringa Rocha
Latin America Researcher (الموقع: São Paulo, Brazil)
Vitória joined the Resource Centre in 2018 as an intern and returned in 2021. She is a national of Brazil and holds a bachelor’s degree in International Relations from the University of São Paulo (USP). She also has a master's degree in International Law and Human Rights, with a minor in Minority Studies, from Åbo Akademi University, in Finland. Vitória is involved with migration issues, especially forced displacement and environmentally displaced persons. Her work experience includes taking part in the social assistance and protection programmes of the Refugee Reference Center of Caritas Arquidiocesana São Paulo, a UNHCR implementing partner; and being an interpreter of the eligibility interviews with asylum seekers in the General-Coordination of the Brazilian National Committee for the Refugees (CG-CONARE, Ministry of Justice). Vitória's mother tongue is Portuguese, and she is fluent in English and Spanish, and has an advanced French and basic abilities in Arabic.
Juan Diego Espinosa
Researcher of the Colombia Programme (الموقع: Bogotá, Colombia)
Juan Diego Espinosa
Researcher of the Colombia Programme (الموقع: Bogotá, Colombia)
Juan joined the Resource Centre in 2019. He is a political scientist, a specialist in justice, victims and peacebuilding and has a master's degree in environment and development. He has analysed different human rights legal-political arrangements and has worked in national and international human rights organizations in Colombia.
Asia & Pacific
Asia & Pacific Team
Amy Sinclair
Australia, New Zealand and the Pacific Senior Representative (الموقع: Sydney, Australia)
Amy Sinclair
Australia, New Zealand and the Pacific Senior Representative (الموقع: Sydney, Australia)
Amy is the Australia, New Zealand and the Pacific Senior Researcher & Representative.
Amy joined the Resource Centre in January 2017 as its first regional representative and researcher for Australia, New Zealand, and the Pacific. She is an international lawyer, researcher and adviser working to advance respect for human rights in business.
Amy holds expert advisory appointments with the Australian Government, the Law Council of Australia and Law Society of New South Wales. She is an Adjunct Lecturer at Australian Human Rights Institute, University of New South Wales, and is a recognised public commentator on business and human rights issues and developments. Formerly a corporate lawyer, with ten years' prior experience with major international legal practices in Sydney, Hong Kong and London. Amy is a dual-qualified lawyer, in Australia/UK.
Anithra Varia
South Asia Researcher and Representative (الموقع: Sri Lanka)
Anithra Varia
South Asia Researcher and Representative (الموقع: Sri Lanka)
Anithra brings over a decade of experience in the not-for-profit sector, consisting of a diverse portfolio of roles across various organizations and thematic focuses. Beginning her career at the Sri Lanka Youth Climate Action Network, she transitioned to World Vision Sri Lanka after obtaining her Bachelor's Degree in Law from the University of London. During her time in Melbourne, Anithra pursued a Master's Degree in International Development from RMIT University while actively engaging with Sisterworks, an organization dedicated to empowering refugee women. Upon returning to Sri Lanka, she integrated back into the landscape, collaborating with entities such as MSI, Pact International, and the Friedrich Naumann Foundation for Freedom. Anithra's expertise extends to thematic areas including enforced disappearances, torture, land rights, and labour issues, particularly within the apparel and plantation sectors of Sri Lanka.
Anju Kozono
Japan Researcher and Representative (الموقع: Japan)
Anju Kozono
Japan Researcher and Representative (الموقع: Japan)
Anju joined the Resource Centre in July 2023. She is responsible for research and outreach in Japan. Previously, she was a project coordinator of Human Rights Now (HRN), an international human rights organisation based in Japan, promoting responsible businesses in accordance with the UNGPs with CSOs, governments, multinational corporations and so on. Anju holds an LL.M in International Human Rights and Economic Law from the University of Essex (the United Kingdom) and a B.A. in Philosophy from Keio University (Japan). Her master's dissertation explored the integration of gender and queer perspectives in the National Action Plan on Business and Human Rights in Japan and the UNGPs. Anju is fluent in Japanese and English.
Jose Jello Cubelo
Southeast Asia Research Assistant (الموقع: Dumaguete City, Philippines)
Jose Jello Cubelo
Southeast Asia Research Assistant (الموقع: Dumaguete City, Philippines)
Jose joined the Research Centre as a Research Assistant for Southeast Asia in June 2017. He is a practising lawyer, earning his law degree from Silliman University. He was a student volunteer at the Salonga Center for Law and Development – a university-based entity working on issues involving environmental law, social justice, human rights, and labour. Jose is a national of the Philippines.
Minju Kang
Researcher
Minju Kang
Researcher
Minju joined the Resource Centre in July 2024 and is responsible for research and outreach in South Korea. She is a legal scholar and an active advocate for human rights, with her interests encompassing labour and human rights issues in the context of globalization, including migrant workers and transnational business activities.
She is currently concluding her PhD program at Seoul National University, where her doctoral thesis focuses on evaluating legal and institutional responses to business and human rights issues. Minju holds a Master of Law (LL.M.) degree from Yale Law School. Minju has conducted research at various institutions, including the British Institute of International and Comparative Law in England, the Integrative Research Institute Law & Society at Humboldt University in Germany, and the Minerva Center of Human Rights at Tel Aviv University in Israel. In addition to her academic pursuits, she has contributed as an advocate and legal researcher to various local public interest institutions and governmental research institutes.
Minju is a national of South Korea and speaks Korean, English, and intermediate Mandarin Chinese.
Pochoy P. Labog
Southeast Asia Researcher & Representative (الموقع: Manila, Philippines)
Pochoy P. Labog
Southeast Asia Researcher & Representative (الموقع: Manila, Philippines)
Pochoy joined the Resource Centre in August 2020 and is responsible for research and outreach in the Southeast Asia region. He is a human rights lawyer and advocate. Prior to joining the Centre, he was the Legal Services Coordinator of the Legal Rights and Natural Resources Center or Friends of the Earth - Philippines where he led the litigation of cases aimed to advance the rights of indigenous peoples and upland, rural, poor communities. He was also a Program Officer of the Asia Foundation where he worked on judicial reform and human rights issues such as extrajudicial killings, enforced disappearance, and torture.
Pochoy holds a BA in Philosophy and a JD from the Ateneo De Manila University. He also has an LLM in International Legal Studies, with a Certificate in International Human Rights Law from the Georgetown University Law Center in Washington D.C. He speaks English and Filipino.
Civic Freedoms & Human Rights Defenders
Civic Freedoms & Human Rights Defenders Programme Team
Christen Dobson
Co-Head, CFs & HRDs Programme (الموقع: Portugal)
Christen Dobson
Co-Head, CFs & HRDs Programme (الموقع: Portugal)
Christen Dobson is the Co-Head of the Civic Freedoms & Human Rights Defenders Programme.
Christen joined the Resource Centre in March 2017 where she co-leads the Civic Freedoms & Human Rights Defenders programme. She also previously managed the Technology and Human Rights programme and served as the Resource Centre’s first North America Regional Researcher. In addition, Christen spent several years supporting funders and climate justice activists to collectively create the Hive Fund for Climate and Gender Justice, which makes grants to groups working at the intersection of climate, gender, and racial justice in the south of the United States. From 2009 to 2016, Christen led the Human Rights Funders Network's Research and Policy program, where she managed a global research initiative to map and analyze the landscape of human rights funding and supported donor efforts to address closing space for civil society. Christen has consulted with Global Greengrants Fund and Prospera - International Network of Women’s Funds, been a gender fellow with EarthRights International’s Southeast Asia office, and interned with Safe Horizon's Anti-Trafficking Program and UN Women's East and Southeast Asia Regional Office. Christen is currently part of Mama Cash’s Global Advisory Network and was previously a member of the International Council of Peace Brigades International. Christen holds a Master of International Affairs degree with a concentration in human rights from Columbia University's School of International and Public Affairs. She speaks some Spanish, Portuguese, and Japanese.
Dylan Lebecki
CFs & HRDs Project Assistant (الموقع: Portugal)
Dylan Lebecki
CFs & HRDs Project Assistant (الموقع: Portugal)
Dylan Lebecki joined the Resource Centre in August 2023 as a Project Assistant with the Civic Freedoms and Human Rights Defenders program. Before joining the Resource Center Dylan worked with the protection and security of Human Rights Defenders in Colombia with the Swedish Fellowship of Reconciliation (SweFOR) and in Guatemala with PBI. Prior to that he also completed an internship in human rights with the EU Delegation to Lao PDR. He is mainly interested in the defense of indigenous rights, territory and land, and transitional justice processes.
He holds a master´s degree in Violence, Conflict, and Development from SOAS University of London and a Bachelor´s degree in Business Studies from the University of Edinburgh. Dylan speaks English, Spanish, and Portuguese fluently and is a national of both Ecuador and Portugal.
Hannah Matthews
CFs & HRDs Researcher and Database Coordinator (الموقع: Mexico)
Hannah Matthews
CFs & HRDs Researcher and Database Coordinator (الموقع: Mexico)
Hannah joined the Resource Centre initially in 2018 as a Research Assistant and later became Latin America Researcher. She returned in 2023 as Civic Freedoms and Human Rights Defender (HRD) Researcher and Database Coordinator. Previously she collaborated with Peace Brigades International (PBI) in different capacities, principally in Mexico and Colombia as well as coordinating the organisation's communication work on an international level. This and other consultancy work directly linked to the impact of business on human rights in the region has led her to gain expertise in the protection of HRDs and a deep understanding of the threats against them.
She holds master's degrees in Agroecology and Regenerative Food Systems from the Universidad del Medio Ambiente, Mexico, and another in Human Rights and International Law from the University of London, UK, and is keenly interested in the defense of indigenous rights and our shared natural resources.
Hannah's mother tongue is English and she speaks fluent Spanish, good French, basic German and Mixteco. Hannah is a British national based in Mexico.
Lady Nancy Zuluaga Jaramillo
CFs & HRDs Senior Legal Researcher & Project Coordinator (الموقع: Panama)
Lady Nancy Zuluaga Jaramillo
CFs & HRDs Senior Legal Researcher & Project Coordinator (الموقع: Panama)
Lady Nancy joined the Resource Centre in December 2019 as a Legal Researcher with the Civic Freedoms & Human Rights Defenders program. Prior to joining the Centre, Lady Nancy was a staff attorney at the Center for Justice and International Law (CEJIL), where she was directly entrusted with cases pending before the Inter-American System of Human Rights in Central America. At CEJIL, she worked on issues regarding gross human rights violations, economic social and cultural rights, migration and persons deprived of their liberty. Lady Nancy has also been a lecturer in Public International Law, Human Rights and Humanitarian Law at the University of Medellin where she was also the coordinator of a research seminar on the Inter-American System of Human Rights. She also has experience working in the Judicial Branch in Colombia. Lady Nancy holds a Law degree from the University of Medellin (Colombia), and an LL.M in International Human Rights Law from the University of Notre Dame (USA). She is in the late stages of her PhD in Law at the University of Buenos Aires (Argentina). Lady Nancy was a research scholar at the Max Planck Institute for Procedural Law in Luxembourg and a member of the Seminar on Transnational Enterprises and Gross Human Rights Violations at the University of Buenos Aires. Her mother tongue is Spanish. She is fluent in English and has a basic knowledge of French. Lady Nancy is a national of Colombia.
Ana Žbona
Co-Head, CFs & HRDs Programme (الموقع: London, United Kingdom)
Ana Žbona
Co-Head, CFs & HRDs Programme (الموقع: London, United Kingdom)
Ana joined the Resource Centre in 2016. She is the Co-Head of the Civic Freedoms & Human Rights Defenders project. The project explores the role of business in these spheres. Before joining the Resource Centre, Ana worked as a manager of a fair trade/community development program with the NGO Mosqoy, working with indigenous communities in the Peruvian Andes. Prior to that, Ana was an advocacy assistant in the EU advocacy team of Human Rights Watch in Brussels, a research assistant for the Slovenian Human Rights Ombudswoman, and a fellow at the EU Delegation to the UN and at the Slovenian Mission to the UN.
Ana holds a Master's degree from the European Inter-University Centre for Human Rights and Democratisation (EIUC), Italy, and Lund University, Sweden. She has a BA in International Development and International Relations from Saint Mary's University, Canada. Her mother tongue is Slovenian; she also speaks fluent English and Spanish, intermediate French and Croatian, and a little bit of Italian and Quechua. Ana is a national of Slovenia.
Emil Rasu Sirén Gualinga
CFs & HRDs, Just Transition and Natural Resources Researcher (الموقع: Ecuador)
Emil Rasu Sirén Gualinga
CFs & HRDs, Just Transition and Natural Resources Researcher (الموقع: Ecuador)
Emil joined the Resource Centre in October 2023 as a CFs & HRDs/JT Natural Resources Researcher. Prior to joining the Resource Centre, Emil worked as a sustainability consultant at Ethos, in Stockholm, where he supported investors to strengthen their responsible investment approaches. Emil has also worked on multiple projects focused on advocacy for Indigenous rights.
Emil holds a master’s degree in business and development Studies from Copenhagen Business School. Emil is a Swedish-Ecuadorian based in Ecuador.
Corporate Legal Accountability
Corporate Legal Accountability Programme Team
Elodie Aba
Senior Legal Researcher (الموقع: France)
Elodie Aba
Senior Legal Researcher (الموقع: France)
Elodie joined the Resource Centre in January 2013. She conducts research for the Corporate Legal Accountability Programme and contributes to the Resource Centre's francophone work. Elodie is a human rights lawyer and legal translator. She was a research assistant at the One World Trust and previously worked at Handicap International UK in London. She also interned at the Extraordinary Chambers in the Courts of Cambodia; the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights; and the International Service for Human Rights. Elodie has a Master of Laws (LL.M) from the University of Melbourne; a law degree in International and European Law from the University of Paris XI; a degree of a legal translator from Institut Supérieur d’Interprétation et de Traduction (ISIT). Her mother tongue is French and she speaks fluent English and some Spanish. Elodie is a national of France.
Communications
Communications Team
Amanda Waite
Web Content and Digital Officer (الموقع: Edinburgh, Scotland)
Amanda Waite
Web Content and Digital Officer (الموقع: Edinburgh, Scotland)
Amanda joined the Resource Centre in 2023 with responsibility for managing the website and ensuring the Resource Centre's digital platform maximises the impact and reach of our work and informs and empowers allies. She works with our global team and external digital partners to continuously improve the website content and user experience. Prior to joining the Resource Centre, Amanda worked in digital communication, website development and translation projects at the University of Edinburgh. Amanda has a Master of Professional Studies in Translation and bachelor’s degrees (BA/BCom) in French and Operations Management from the University of Auckland. Her native language is English, she has good knowledge of French and Spanish and is learning Scottish Gaelic. She is a national of the UK and New Zealand.
Ayotunde Razaq
Communication Officer (الموقع: Nigeria)
Ayotunde Razaq
Communication Officer (الموقع: Nigeria)
Ayotunde joined the Resource Centre in 2023, having previously worked in Communications and Public Relations roles with numerous NGOs and international development organizations, including the IOM, UNGC, CDD, and most recently, with GIZ. At GIZ, he managed the development of strategic communications for two programmes: strengthening resilience in northeast Nigeria and skills development for youth employment, spanning across ten states in Nigeria and Germany. He possesses a wide range of communication skills, including creative digital design, overseeing social platforms, and expertise in strategic communications.
Currently, Ayotunde serves as an ambassador for UNDP SocialProtection.org. He holds a BA from the prestigious University of Ibadan and an Executive MBA from the Quantic School of Business and Technology in Washington DC, USA. Ayotunde is of Nigerian nationality.
Kate Bermingham
Media Officer (الموقع: Portugal)
Kate Bermingham
Media Officer (الموقع: Portugal)
Kate is a journalist and communications professional specialising in human rights and social issues. She has a BA in American studies, a PG Dip in journalism and an LLM in international human rights law. Kate has worked in communications roles for various non-profit organisations, including Women's Aid and the Refugee Council. Kate is originally from Ireland, but currently lives in Portugal.
Harriet Wood
Digital Communications Officer (الموقع: London, United Kingdom)
Harriet Wood
Digital Communications Officer (الموقع: London, United Kingdom)
Harriet joined the communications team in October 2019. Prior to joining the Resource Centre, she worked in communications and operations for Ninth Wave Global and spent three years working on grassroots environmental projects in southeast Mexico. Harriet has worked in PR, operations and communications for a range of projects and as a freelance writer and research assistant for English-language Latin American news media with a focus on politics and sustainability. She has a BA in English Language and Literature from King’s College London. She speaks English and Spanish.
Maeve Diffley
Weekly Update Editor (الموقع: Brighton, United Kingdom)
Maeve Diffley
Weekly Update Editor (الموقع: Brighton, United Kingdom)
Maeve joined the team in November 2023. Prior to her time with the Resource Centre, she worked in content and communications roles for a range of NGOs with a focus on climate change and human rights. She is passionate about environmental justice and alternative economies. In her spare time she can be found trying hand at any arts and crafts, gardening, and dreaming up utopian futures.
Priyanka Mogul
Senior Media Officer (الموقع: London, United Kingdom)
Priyanka Mogul
Senior Media Officer (الموقع: London, United Kingdom)
Priyanka joined the Resource Centre in 2021 and is responsible for the organisation's press outreach. She works with our teams across the globe to amplify the voices of human rights advocates through the media. Prior to joining the Resource Centre, she worked in the communications team at the think tank Asia House.
Priyanka has also worked as a journalist, reporting primarily on international development and human rights issues in Asia - with articles in Al Jazeera, the International Business Times and The Diplomat, among others. She has a BA in Journalism with Human Rights (Kingston University) and a MSc in Emerging Economies and International Development (King's College London).
Development
Development Team
Brittany Bouchez
US Administrative and Development Assistant (الموقع: New York, USA)
Brittany Bouchez
US Administrative and Development Assistant (الموقع: New York, USA)
Brittany joined the Resource Centre in October 2021 as a temporary US Administrative and Development Assistant. In January 2022, she became a permanent member assisting on all administrative needs with the Development and Operations Team. She has a B.A in Psychology from SUNY Albany and over 8 years of customer experience in a variety of industries. She is passionate about the Resource Centre’s mission and is excited to help continue its growth for years to come. Outside of her career, she enjoys painting, embroidery, and travelling.
Émile Kinley-Gauthier
Senior Development Officer
Émile Kinley-Gauthier
Senior Development Officer
Émile joined the Resource Centre as a Development Officer in December 2021. Previously, from 2016 to 2021, he held multiple positions with the Asian Forum for Human Rights and Development (FORUM-ASIA), where he was a Resource Mobilisation Officer from 2019. In his role, he was leading and coordinating in all activities related to fundraising, including the development of the organisational Fundraising Strategy & Plan and drafting proposals to institutional donors. Émile also spent one year at Manushya Foundation as a Human Right Researcher. There, he drafted multiple chapters of a CSO National Baseline Assessment (NBA) on the situation of business and human rights in Thailand, including a legal & policy analysis on the protection of human rights defenders.
Émile holds a Master’s Degree in Asian Studies from the Graduate Institute of Geneva, and a B.A. in International Studies from the University of Montreal. He is a Canadian national and is fluent in both French and English.
Martin Lassalle
Development Officer (الموقع: Argentina)
Martin Lassalle
Development Officer (الموقع: Argentina)
Martin joined the Resource Centre in April 2022 as a Development Officer for the LATAM region. Prior to working at the Centre, Martin developed his fundraising and international cooperation career in different countries in the region, having worked in regional and grassroots organizations in Argentina, Haiti, Guatemala, and Costa Rica, and has experience in different thematic areas such as education, civil rights movements, and nutrition. Martin is an Argentinian national and has Postgraduate studies in Administration for nonprofit organizations and an MA in International Law.
Merav Bat-Gil
Development Manager (الموقع: Frankfurt, Germany)
Merav Bat-Gil
Development Manager (الموقع: Frankfurt, Germany)
Merav joined the Resource Centre in 2021 as the Development Manager for Europe. She manages relationships and grant management with the Centre’s Europe-based funding sources and is responsible for supporting the team members in the development of their programmes. She works closely alongside the Development Director and the Development team.
Previous to working at the Centre, Merav worked for over 10 years in resource development for human rights organisations funded by the UN, EU, bilateral, and multilateral funders in a variety of organizational settings. She was responsible for fundraising and grants management, donor’s stewardship and advocacy for funding.
Merav has provided capacity building to organisations based in Denmark, Georgia, Germany, Greece, India, Israel, Kenya, Mexico, Mozambique, South Africa and Uganda.
Merav holds an MA in development and cooperation from the University of Florence. Merav speaks English, Hebrew, Italian and some German. Merav is a national of Germany.
Europe & Central Asia
Europe & Central Asia Team
Amelie Freund
EU/Western Europe Research Assistant
Amelie Freund
EU/Western Europe Research Assistant
Amelie joined the Resource Centre in May 2022 as an EU/ Western Europe Intern. She currently studies law at Freie Universität Berlin and holds a BA in International Relations from Technische Universität Dresden. During her studies, she focused on feminist and decolonial critiques of the (international) legal system and global capitalism. Her previous experience includes working for the Chair of International Law, European Law and Public Law at the Technische Universität Dresden and internships at Brot für die Welt, the International Association of Lawyers against Nuclear Arms (IALANA) and the Institute for International Law of Peace and Armed Conflict (IFHV). She is particularly interested in supply chain due diligence acts, labour rights and rethinking the existing economic system. Amelie is fluent in German and English and has a good knowledge of Spanish.
Belle Benckendorff
EU/Western Europe Researcher (الموقع: Based in Germany)
Belle Benckendorff
EU/Western Europe Researcher (الموقع: Based in Germany)
Belle joined the Resource Centre in January 2024 as a Legal Research Intern and became a Europe/Western Europe Researcher in September 2024.
Prior to joining the Resource Centre, Belle gained experience in strategic litigation, corporate law and human rights law. She completed her clerkship at the German Federal Foreign Office, the German Development Agency GIZ, and the Legal Assistance Centre in Namibia. She also worked with NGOs in Greece and the UK, assisting with asylum applications and welfare benefits. Her work and research interests focus on the intersection of human rights, mandatory human rights due diligence legislation, and the extractive industries.
Belle studied law at Münster University and the China University of Political Science and Law in Beijing. She passed her First and Second State Examinations at the Higher Regional Courts in Hamm and Frankfurt am Main. She holds an LL.M. in Law and Development from SOAS University of London. A German national, Belle is fluent in German and English, with basic knowledge of French and Chinese.
Ella Skybenko
Eastern Europe/Central Asia Senior Researcher (الموقع: Kyiv, Ukraine)
Ella Skybenko
Eastern Europe/Central Asia Senior Researcher (الموقع: Kyiv, Ukraine)
Ella joined the Resource Centre in 2008. She is responsible for research and outreach in Eastern Europe & Central Asia and has conducted regional missions to the Czech Republic, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Azerbaijan, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Serbia, Romania, Bulgaria, Georgia and Armenia. Ella formerly worked as a regional manager at American Red Cross, HIV/AIDS program manager at Holt International Children’s Services and program coordinator at American International Health Alliance. Ella holds an MSc in Global Health from the University of Manchester; Master's degree in International Relations with a concentration in International Law from the Ivan Franko National University of Lviv; and MA in International Human Rights from the University of Denver. Her mother tongues are Ukrainian and Russian. She speaks fluent English. Ella is a national of Ukraine.
Johannes Blankenbach
Senior EU/Western Europe Researcher (الموقع: Berlin, Germany)
Johannes Blankenbach
Senior EU/Western Europe Researcher (الموقع: Berlin, Germany)
Johannes Blankenbach is the Business & Human Rights Resource Centre’s Senior EU/Western Europe Researcher & Representative, based at its Berlin office. He has been with the organization since 2018, after more than five years as a Researcher at the (now) German Institute of Development and Sustainability (IDOS) in Bonn. Johannes leads the Resource Centre's EU research, which covers human rights impacts of EU businesses within and outside of the region, as well as policy and legislative trends. Human rights and environmental due diligence and the move towards binding corporate due diligence and accountability legislation is a particular focus of his work. Among other topics, Johannes’ writing and presentations have addressed the pitfalls of social audits and the need for genuine due diligence including responsible purchasing practices and business models, as well as effective and safe stakeholder engagement. He holds a BA in International Relations from Dresden University (TU Dresden) and an MSc in Human Rights from the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE). Johannes speaks fluent German and English, with a good knowledge of French. He is a national of Germany.
Vladyslava Kaplina
Eastern Europe/Central Asia Research Assistant (الموقع: Lisbon, Portugal)
Vladyslava Kaplina
Eastern Europe/Central Asia Research Assistant (الموقع: Lisbon, Portugal)
Vladyslava joined the Resource Centre in 2021. She is responsible for research in Eastern Europe & Central Asia. Vladyslava was the administrative assistant of the course “Business, Corporations and Human Rights”, organized jointly by the Yaroslav Mudryi National Law University (Kharkiv, Ukraine) and the Judge of the European Court of Human Rights on behalf of Portugal Paulo Pinto de Albuquerque (March-December 2020). She holds a degree in Law from the Yaroslav Mudryi National Law University and a Master's in Fundamental Rights from the University of Lisbon School of Law. At the University of Lisbon, she is engaged in the project “Human Rights & Business: regulatory aspects and corporate duties emerging from human rights rules”, created by the Lisbon Public Law Research Centre.
Her mother tongues are Ukrainian and Russian. She speaks fluent English, French and Portuguese. Vladyslava is a national of Ukraine.
Labour Rights Programme
Labour Rights Programme Team
Áine Clarke
Head of KnowTheChain and Investor Strategy (الموقع: London, United Kingdom)
Áine Clarke
Head of KnowTheChain and Investor Strategy (الموقع: London, United Kingdom)
Áine leads the KnowTheChain benchmark - a resource for companies and investors to understand and address forced labour and labour rights risks and impact within their global supply chains. Prior to this, she led investor engagement on the Workforce Disclosure Initiative (WDI) at the UK based responsible investment charity, ShareAction. While there, she was seconded to the Project Task Force on the European Sustainability Reporting Standards (EFRAG), developing the draft workforce standards for the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD). She has an M.A in International Political Economy and has completed CFA level 1 and certificate in ESG investing.
Catriona Fraser
Migrant Workers Researcher (الموقع: London, United Kingdom)
Catriona Fraser
Migrant Workers Researcher (الموقع: London, United Kingdom)
Catriona joined the research centre in April 2023. She has a master's degree in Migration Studies from the University of Oxford, where her research focused on female migrant rights in Europe and the US in the context of globalisation and worker precarity. Prior to joining the Resource Centre, Catriona worked as Research and Impact lead of an education consultancy, and she also ran the organisation’s charity, The Oppidan Foundation, working to reduce the risk of exclusion for vulnerable pupils in UK schools. Before moving into research, Catriona worked for the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction’s Media and Advocacy department in Geneva, supporting the maintenance of the disaster risk reduction website PreventionWeb. She has also volunteered for the NGO Lifting Hands International, teaching children in refugee camps in Greece, and has interned as a journalist and photographer in Bolivia.
Isobel Archer
Senior Researcher, Labour & Migrant Worker Rights (الموقع: London, United Kingdom)
Isobel Archer
Senior Researcher, Labour & Migrant Worker Rights (الموقع: London, United Kingdom)
Isobel joined the Resource Centre in April 2019 to work on the Migrant Workers in the Gulf Project in the run-up to the Qatar 2022 World Cup. Her knowledge of modern slavery, and business and human rights comes from her time working and interning for a number of organisations, including an internship at the Resource Centre. Isobel also gained experience at Shiva Foundation, Environmental Resources Management (ERM) and Ardea International where she focused on corporate disclosure, improving access to labour rights, and tackling human trafficking in the hotel, construction, and professional service sectors. Isobel holds an MA (Dist.) Understanding & Securing Human Rights from the University of London and a BA (Hons) English Literature from the University of Exeter (UK) including a year studying at the University of Otago (New Zealand). Isobel is a UK national.
Kane Shaw
KnowTheChain Research Assistant (الموقع: United Kingdom)
Kane Shaw
KnowTheChain Research Assistant (الموقع: United Kingdom)
Kane joined the Research Centre as KnowTheChain Research Assistant in April 2024. He supports the KnowTheChain team to research and investigate allegations of forced labour, corporate disclosure and Modern Slavery Statements from companies operating in the ICT, Apparel and Footwear, and Food and Beverage sector. He also works as a Freelance Legal Researcher on large scale collective litigation against companies in breach of workers’ and consumers’ rights. Prior to joining the Business and Human Rights Resource Centre, he spent several years working in trade unions and renters’ unions in the UK challenging the exploitation of low-paid, precarious, and migrant workers, and holding corporate and social landlords to account respectively. He also holds a Master of Arts in Social and Political Thought from the University of Sussex and a First Class BSc in Social Policy and Sociology from the University of Bristol. He is also fluent in Spanish and has previously lived and worked in Argentina.
Kate Jelly
Labour Rights Researcher (الموقع: Berlin, Germany)
Kate Jelly
Labour Rights Researcher (الموقع: Berlin, Germany)
Kate joined the Resource Centre in September 2022 to work primarily on research in the garment and tea sectors in South and Southeast Asia and East Africa. Prior to joining the Resource Centre, Kate was a consultant at Ergon Associates where she undertook research and advisory work for a range of clients - focusing on human rights and labour risks in global agricultural and manufacturing supply chains, and gender-based violence and harassment in relation to development finance investments. Previously, Kate worked for the consultancy Context, and at the UK Department for International Development, where she supported the UK government’s response to global humanitarian emergencies and relief efforts. Kate holds an MSc in Gender, Policy and Inequalities from the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE). She is a UK national based in Berlin and speaks some German and Spanish.
Natalie Swan
Labour Rights Programme Manager (الموقع: London, United Kingdom)
Natalie Swan
Labour Rights Programme Manager (الموقع: London, United Kingdom)
Natalie joined the Research Centre in March 2022 and is responsible for managing the organisation's projects on labour rights issues. Natalie has worked within the UK and international trade union movement for the past decade, organising and representing largely female, migrant and low-wage workers. As European Director for the Care, Cleaning & Security Services at UNI Global Union, Natalie was responsible for coordinating international policy and campaigns to call for decent work in these sectors, and most recently has developed the newly launched School of Organising at the UK-based IWGB union; training gig economy and outsourced workers to develop effective organising campaigns.
Natalie has also worked as an independent consultant at Partner Africa, working with brands and their supplier networks on the African continent to implement due diligence and worker representative mechanisms.
Natalie holds a BA in History from King’s College London and an MSc in Globalisation & Development from the School of Oriental & African Studies (SOAS). Natalie has previously lived and worked in Brussels and Cape Town and is currently based in London. She is a British national.
Rosie Monaghan
KnowTheChain Researcher & Representative (الموقع: London, United Kingdom)
Rosie Monaghan
KnowTheChain Researcher & Representative (الموقع: London, United Kingdom)
Rosie joined the Research Centre as KnowTheChain Research Assistant in June 2017. She supports the research methodology for KnowTheChain and carries out research and analysis of Modern Slavery Statements, corporate disclosure, and allegations of forced labour. She holds an LLM in International Human Rights Law from the Irish Centre for Human Rights and a law degree from Oxford Brookes University. Her academic research has focused on legal protection for victims of human trafficking, and human rights due diligence as a tool for addressing slavery in supply chains. Rosie has previously undertaken internships at the Equal Rights Trust, supporting the Trust's litigation and advocacy programmes; the Joint Council for the Welfare of Immigrants; and volunteered as a researcher with the Sophie Hayes Foundation. Rosie is a national of the UK.
Weronika Betta
KnowTheChain Researcher (الموقع: United Kingdom)
Weronika Betta
KnowTheChain Researcher (الموقع: United Kingdom)
Weronika joined the Resource Centre in November 2022. As a Researcher for the KnowTheChain program, she supports the collection and analysis of data used to construct the benchmark. Prior to joining the Centre, Weronika worked on research and strategic litigation in several civil society organisations engaged in issues related to corporate conduct and human rights, including TRIAL International in Switzerland, Dejusticia in Colombia, and Instituto de Democracia y Derechos Humanos in Peru. She has also worked as a Research Assistant at Yale Law School and a Teaching Assistant at the Sciences Po School of Law. Weronika holds a B.A. in Political Science from Yale University. Her working languages are English, Spanish, French, and Polish.
Bhoomika Choudhury
Senior Labour Rights Researcher (الموقع: India)
Bhoomika Choudhury
Senior Labour Rights Researcher (الموقع: India)
Bhoomika Choudhury holds a Master of Law in Human Rights Law from Georgetown University Law Center (GULC), Washington DC, and a Bachelor of Laws from Symbiosis Law School, India. Complementing her academic achievements, she also possesses a Master in Business and Human Rights from the Institute of Human Rights and Business, Bergen University, and the Rafto Foundation. Bhoomika passed the Indian Bar examination in 2013 and the New York Bar examination in 2019.
Her career is marked by strategic litigation and advocacy, particularly in labour rights, human trafficking, and business ethics. Bhoomika's role as a Consultant to ARAVALI, India involved investigating employer liability for compensating silicosis-affected workers in the sandstone industry, establishing legal aid clinics, and generating evidence for strategic litigation. As an Independent Consultant for the American Bar Association Center for Human Rights, she conducted groundbreaking research on judicial harassment and police atrocities, notably addressing issues surrounding a contentious mining plant in Odisha, India. Notably, she contributed significantly to drafting a policy for the Ministry of Labor & Employment of the Government of India, focusing on child labor rehabilitation and the Child Labour Project's implementation. As the Legal Research and Advocacy Lead at Cividep India, Bhoomika played a pivotal role in shaping policies, conducting research and trainings, project planning and enhancing grievance mechanisms in the apparel industry.Bhoomika's impact extends internationally through her research on the violation of decent work conditions in the India-U.S. sandstone mining supply chain. Her influential report resulted in sandstone's inclusion in the List of Goods Produced by Child Labor or Forced Labor published by the U.S. Department of Labor, highlighting her commitment to eliminating exploitation. With an extensive background, Bhoomika has left an indelible mark on the legal landscape, championing human rights and ethical practices. Her affiliations with esteemed legal associations, including the Supreme Court Bar Association and Delhi High Court Bar Association, further affirm her professional standing.
Management Team
Management Team
Betty Yolanda
Director of Regional Programmes (الموقع: Jakarta, Indonesia)
Betty Yolanda
Director of Regional Programmes (الموقع: Jakarta, Indonesia)
Betty joined the Resource Centre in February 2019 as its first Regional Manager for Asia, having previously worked at the Asian Forum for Human Rights and Development (FORUM-ASIA), where she was Programme Manager and then Co-Director from 2014 to early 2019. She was appointed Director of Regional Programmes in December 2021, leading the Resource Centre's teams of experts in Asia & Pacific, the Americas, Africa, the Middle East, and Europe & Central Asia.
From 2011-2014, Betty led the American Bar Association Rule of Law Initiative (ABA ROLI)’s work in Southeast Asia to strengthen the capacity of public interest lawyers in engaging with the ASEAN human rights mechanisms. Prior to ABA ROLI, Betty dedicated her time working as a human rights lawyer and researcher at the Institute for Policy Research and Advocacy (ELSAM) for more than seven years. A Chevening scholar, Betty holds an LL.M in international human rights law with Merit from the University of Essex, United Kingdom. She has a bachelor’s degree in international law from the Catholic University of Atma Jaya, Jakarta.
Graham Mackay
Chief Operating Officer (الموقع: London, United Kingdom)
Graham Mackay
Chief Operating Officer (الموقع: London, United Kingdom)
Graham joined the Resource Centre in August 2021 and is based in the London headquarters. He oversees the internal organisational & operational functions and his purpose is to ensure a well-run, efficient, agile organisation that is enabled to be outward-facing and delivering its mission and the commitments made to its partners and stakeholders.
Graham’s background originally was in natural sciences where he gained a PhD in environmental science before moving into relief and development, where he has worked on programmes in more than 15 countries around the world. He was Oxfam’s deputy humanitarian director before moving into organisational management. Prior to joining the Resource Centre, he was Chief Operating Officer at Bond, the UK’s membership organisation for International Relief and Development organisations for six years doing a similar role.
Michael Clements
Director of International Programmes (الموقع: Johannesburg, South Africa)
Michael Clements
Director of International Programmes (الموقع: Johannesburg, South Africa)
Michael joined the Resource Centre in March 2022 as the Director of International Programmes, in which role she supports the work of Labour Rights, Tech and Rights, Just Energy Transition, Corporate Legal Accountability, and Civic Freedoms & Human Rights Defender teams.
From 2015 -2021, Michael worked for Lawyers for Human Rights, a South African public interest organisation, where she served as Acting Director and Head of Programmes. Michael led the Lawyers for Human Rights Environmental Rights Programme, focusing on business and human rights as well as the representation of communities in advancing their rights in legal matters involving the extractive sector. Previously, she worked at a New York-based law firm, specialising in international arbitration and litigation. She is a member of the New York State Bar and holds a BA in Latin American History from Barnard College and a JD from Columbia University.
Patricia Surak
Deputy Director, Director for Development (الموقع: New York, USA)
Patricia Surak
Deputy Director, Director for Development (الموقع: New York, USA)
Patty joined the Resource Centre in 2009 as the organisation’s first Development Director. Since then, she has helped to significantly expand and diversify the Centre’s income and funding sources, increase the number of donors worldwide, build and support the board, and build and lead a Development Team on five continents. Patty works closely with the Development Team to manage current funding relationships, to seek financial support to enable the Resource Centre to expand its work, and to ensure effective Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability and Learning are woven into project implementation and the organization overall. Prior to managing her own fundraising consulting business for several years, Patty was the Director of Development at a local senior care facility in New Rochelle, NY, where she oversaw a capital campaign which raised over $6 million to build a nursing and rehabilitation center.
Other posts included: Director of Foundation and Corporate Relations at Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF), where she and her team managed relationships with over 600 foundation and corporate supporters and grew the revenue from this sector six-fold; Director of Corporate and Foundation Relations for Catholic Relief Services, which included travel to Turkey, Macedonia, Bulgaria, Croatia, and Bosnia, to provide technical assistance and fundraising training to CRS field staff to help with capacity building of local independent NGOs. Patty’s academic and research projects included work on the commercial sexual exploitation of children in the U.S., Canada, & Mexico and on the effects of welfare reform on poor and low-income Pennsylvania residents. Patty earned her Master of Social Work (M.S.W.) at the University of Pennsylvania, where she was awarded the Ruth Smalley Award for Outstanding Achievements in International Social Welfare, and her B.A. in Political Science from the State University of New York at Stony Brook.
Phil Bloomer
Executive Director (الموقع: London, United Kingdom)
Phil Bloomer
Executive Director (الموقع: London, United Kingdom)
Phil became Executive Director of the Business & Human Rights Resource Centre in 2013. Phil leads strategy and outreach globally working with 80 global team members and allies. Programmes are focused on the transformation of business and investment models especially in areas of the just transition to net zero carbon; labour rights in supply chains; rights in technology and civic freedoms.
Phil sits on several external groups including the Civil Society Advisory Group for Principles for Responsible Banking, the Expert Review Committee of the World Benchmarking Alliance; Climate Outreach’s Board, and the European Citizen’s Initiative for a Living Wage.
Prior to joining the Resource Centre Phil was Director of Campaigns and Policy at Oxfam GB, joining them after 11 years in Latin America working on human rights and indigenous rights.
Just Transition and Natural Resources Programme
Just Transition and Natural Resources Team
Caroline Avan
Head of Just Transition and Natural Resources (الموقع: France)
Caroline Avan
Head of Just Transition and Natural Resources (الموقع: France)
Caroline joined the Resource Centre in May 2022 and became the Head of the team in March 2024. She leads the Ressource Centre's research and analysis on corporate abuses, policies and practices in renewable energy value chains - from the extraction of transition minerals to the deployment of wind and solar projects, and engagement and advocacy towards companies and their investors.
Prior to joining the Resource Centre, Caroline worked with Oxfam France for three years as Extractive Industries Advocacy & Research Officer. She led Oxfam global engagement with French extractive companies, and coordinated the development of several publications on the industry, with a focus on climate, human rights and tax justice issues. She also was in charge of coordinating the Publish What You Pay (PWYP) coalition in France, as well as co-leading PWYP EU advocacy strategy for stronger European regulations on corporate transparency and accountability.
Before that, she was a humanitarian worker, holding various operation coordination positions in emergency & post-emergency settings. She lived and worked in different countries, including the Democratic Republic of Congo, Jordan and Iraq. She initially started her career as a financial auditor.
She holds a Master’s degree in Advanced Global Studies from Sciences Po Paris, a Bachelor of Laws, and a MSc in engineering from the ISAE (France). She is a French national, her native language is French and she is fluent in English.
Natalia Daza Niño
Just Transition and Natural Resources Research Assistant (الموقع: Bogotá, Colombia)
Natalia Daza Niño
Just Transition and Natural Resources Research Assistant (الموقع: Bogotá, Colombia)
Natalia joined the Resource Centre in 2023. Over the past years, Natalia has worked as a human rights researcher and advocate, with a focus on the nexus between human rights, climate justice, and gender justice. Before joining the BHRRC team, Natalia worked for two years at the Colombian human rights NGO Dejusticia, where she served as a researcher in the environmental justice area. She also worked as a consultant for the environmental NGO Transforma conducting research on social and gender issues with regard to climate change. Currently, Natalia also serves as a Gender Monitor for the activities of the Green Climate Fund (GCF) in Latin America and the Caribbean.
Natalia holds a Bachelor´s Degree in Political Science from Universidad de Los Andes, with minors in Gender Studies, and Philosophy. She is fluent in English and Spanish.
Sophie Rickard
Just Transition and Natural Resources Senior Researcher (الموقع: London, United Kingdom)
Sophie Rickard
Just Transition and Natural Resources Senior Researcher (الموقع: London, United Kingdom)
Prior to joining the Resource Centre, Sophie worked as a freelance research consultant, with clients including GIZ, Cordaid and Nathan Associates. Her work included developing GIZ’s report on sexual and gender-based violence in the mining sector and their guide to gender and mining issues and initiatives. Sophie has previously worked in a range of research and management roles covering mining governance, human rights and rule of law programming with organisations including the International Commission of Jurists, Publish What You Pay and ASI.
Operations & Finance
Operations & Finance Team
Alice Penzo
PA & Operations Support (الموقع: London, United Kingdom)
Alice Penzo
PA & Operations Support (الموقع: London, United Kingdom)
Alice joined the BHRRC in December 2022. She has worked in different private-sector industries in the past, including retail, financial services and the renewable energy sector. After obtaining a bachelor’s degree in International Relations from the University of Bologna, Alice spent several months in South America working on sustainable development projects with the indigenous communities of the Atacama Desert. Her interest in Human Rights led her to London, where she completed an MA in Human Rights and International Conflict at the London Metropolitan University. She is interested in how inter-state and intra-state conflict impact individuals and their security.
She is an Italian citizen living in the UK.
Ezgi Crössmann
Project Support and Compliance Officer (الموقع: Munich, Germany)
Ezgi Crössmann
Project Support and Compliance Officer (الموقع: Munich, Germany)
Ezgi joined the Resource Centre as Finance Officer in November 2021. She is based in Munich and supports the BHRRC team through grants management and compliance.
She started her career at Deloitte, where she realized her interest in being part of the development work through audits she performed. In the following years, she supported country offices and projects teams of Deutsche Welthungerhilfe e.V. and GIZ GmbH in Turkey and Germany. She worked for various humanitarian aid, emergency response, and development projects as a Finance and Administration Officer.
Prior to her career, Ezgi studied International Relations and got her master's degree in Business Administration. She lives in Germany since 2018.
Giulia Vinzi
Human Resources Lead (الموقع: London, United Kingdom)
Giulia Vinzi
Human Resources Lead (الموقع: London, United Kingdom)
Giulia joined us in July 2021 as the first Human Resources Lead based in our London office. She has over five years of HR experience in a fast-paced, international healthcare media company, WebMD. She started her career in the NYC headquarters where she was hired while in her senior year of college, after a summer internship. After three years, her passion for international affairs was recognized by the head of HR who offered her a role in London as the first HR support for the growing global business. There, she supported over 150 employees across the UK and EU with all aspects of human resources.
Nisha Rabadia
Bookkeeper (الموقع: London, United Kingdom)
Nisha Rabadia
Bookkeeper (الموقع: London, United Kingdom)
Nisha joined the Resource Centre in March 2023 as a bookkeeper in which she supports the finance function globally and is based at the London Headquarters.
Since then, she has supported the Finance and Operations Team in maintaining daily financial transactions. Her aim is to ensure accurate and up-to-date data processing on a real-time basis to help the business with long-term and short-term decision making which is essential for the business to succeed.
She is a Finance professional with a master’s in financial and management accounting and is ACCA part-qualified.
Bea Ocampo
Human Resources Assistant (الموقع: Manila, Philippines)
Bea Ocampo
Human Resources Assistant (الموقع: Manila, Philippines)
Bea joined the Resource Centre in February 2024 as a Human Resources Assistant. She has accumulated over 7 years of experience in areas of HR, operations, and program support in different international non-government organizations. Based in Manila, Philippines, she has previously taken on national and regional roles within the development and humanitarian sector. Becoming part of a global team, she is now given an opportunity to continue honing her skills and knowledge with a wider reach.
Preeti Seshadri
Planning and Operations Manager (الموقع: India)
Preeti Seshadri
Planning and Operations Manager (الموقع: India)
Preeti joined the Resource Centre in April 2024 and is based in Bangalore, India. Preeti will work closely with the Operations Team and Project teams to support the COO in planning and project management globally.
Preeti brings over two decades of business operations experience across both the corporate and non-profit sectors, having worked with multiple global teams spanning Asia to Latin America. She has experience scaling teams, setting up and streamlining processes and has been focused on gender diversity initiatives for the majority of her career. Preeti holds a double Master's - one in Economics and a Post Graduate Diploma in Management.
Technology & Human Rights Programme
Technology & Human Rights Programme Team
Danny Rayman
Technology and Human Rights Researcher (الموقع: Santiago, Chile)
Danny Rayman
Technology and Human Rights Researcher (الموقع: Santiago, Chile)
Danny joined the Resource Centre in 2021 where he covers a range of technology and human rights issues. Danny is a lawyer and a human rights defender from Chile, where he is currently based. Prior to this position, he was Litigation Coordinator (2016-2017), Legal Consultant and Researcher (2017-2018), and then Director, Research and Projects Coordinator (2019-2021) at Fundación Datos Protegidos where he worked on cases, research projects and advocacy campaigns related to technology and human rights. Since 2017, Danny has also been part of consulting and research teams focused on privacy, data protection, digital security, and corruption prevention systems with Tactical Technology Collective, WZB Berlin Social Science Centre, Stream House, and others. In addition, since the 2019 social uprising in Chile, he has led the Testigo en Línea project, which documents human rights violations. He has also participated in litigation, research, and security capacity building related to human rights defenders as a board member of the NGO Acción Constitucional.
Danny holds a Bachelor's degree in Law and Social Sciences from Universidad Diego Portales, a Master's degree in Law and New Technologies from the Universidad de Chile, and an LL.M. in International Human Rights Law and Humanitarian Law from the European University Viadrina. Danny speaks Spanish and English, and has a good command of German and a basic understanding of Portuguese.
Gayatri Khandhadai
Head of Technology and Human Rights (الموقع: India)
Gayatri Khandhadai
Head of Technology and Human Rights (الموقع: India)
Gaya joined the Resource Centre in February 2022 as the Head of Technology and Human Rights. She is a lawyer with a background in international law and human rights, international and regional human rights mechanisms, research, and advocacy. She previously worked with national and regional human rights groups, focusing on freedom of expression.
More recently she worked as the Asia Policy Regional Coordinator at the Association for Progressive Communications where her focus was on digital rights and policy in Asia with specific emphasis on freedoms of expression, religion, assembly and association on the internet. Her areas of expertise include capacity building, network support, policy advocacy on regulations and adoption of human rights-based approach to internet governance.
She holds an M.A. in International Law and Human Rights from the University for Peace, Costa Rica and a B.A. BL (Hons) from the Tamil Nadu Dr. Ambedkar Law University, India.
Meredith Veit
Technology and Human Rights Researcher (الموقع: Brussels, Belgium)
Meredith Veit
Technology and Human Rights Researcher (الموقع: Brussels, Belgium)
Meredith joined the Resource Centre at the start of 2023. Her work sits at the intersection of business, human rights and technology, with a particular focus on at-risk groups. She is a journalist by vocation, and she has worked on various projects related to the protection of human rights defenders, journalists, migrants’ rights and children’s rights in the digital age. She specializes in research, writing, and trauma-informed, gender-sensitive interviewing.
Meredith is currently pursuing a degree in International Human Rights Law at Oxford University (UK). She holds a master's degree in Human Rights and Democratisation from the Global Campus of Human Rights (Italy) and an interdisciplinary bachelor's degree in Communication and Public Culture from The George Washington University (USA).
Founder & Former Director
Chris Avery
Chris founded Business & Human Rights Resource Centre in 2002 and was Director until he retired in September 2013. He is a former Legal Adviser and Deputy Head of Research Department, Amnesty International - International Secretariat. He authored Business and Human Rights in a Time of Change, a 108-page report published by Amnesty International UK in 2000. Chris was educated at Columbia Univ. School of Law (LLM); Univ. of California, Davis, School of Law (JD Order of the Coif); Stanford Univ. (BA Honours). Chris is a national of both the U.S and UK.
Current Interns
September 2024- Present, Małgorzata Tyczka, Legal Research Intern:
Małgorzata Tyczka joined the Business & Human Rights Resource Centre as a Legal Research Intern with the Corporate Legal Accountability Programme in September 2024. She is currently pursuing a Master's degree in Law at Adam Mickiewicz University (AMU) in Poznań, Poland and has a Bachelor's degree in European Law. Małgorzata has previous experience interning at the District Court in Poznań and is actively involved in providing free legal assistance through the AMU Legal Clinic. She has also participated in Erasmus+ exchange programs at Université de Strasbourg, France and Ruprecht-Karls-Universität Heidelberg, Germany. Małgorzata’s mother tongue is Polish, she also speaks fluent English and some French.
September 2024- Present, Winnie Ngigi, Legal Research Intern:
Winnie Ngigi joined the Corporate Legal Accountability Programme as a Legal Research Intern in September 2024. During her Internship Winnie conducts online legal research regarding alleged human rights abuses by companies.
Winnie is a lawyer and a human rights defender having been in legal practice for the last six years. She holds a Master of Law in advanced studies in international children rights from Leiden University, the Netherlands. She is also currently pursuing a second Masters of Law degree from the University of Nairobi, Kenya.