Meet the expert speakers at the Sporting Chance Forum 2023

MARY HARVEY
CEO, Centre for Sport & Human Rights

Mary V. Harvey is Chief Executive of the Centre for Sport and Human Rights and an accomplished and innovative sports governance and sustainability executive with more than 15 years leading worldwide initiatives to achieve societal change and gender equity through sports. She is a former senior executive at FIFA (2003–2008) and has served as a sport envoy for the US State Department’s Sports Diplomacy Division on several occasions. She serves as the Vice Chair of the Board of Directors of the Green Sports Alliance. Prior to taking up her current role, she led the development of the human rights strategy for the successful bid to bring the FIFA World Cup 2026 to North America. A lifelong athlete, Mary enjoyed an eight-year career with the US women’s National Soccer Team, winning the inaugural FIFA Women’s World Cup in 1991 and Olympic Gold in 1996.

ANNA IFKOVITS HORNER
Ambassador, Head of Host State Division, Permanent Mission of Switzerland to the United Nations Office

Ambassador Anna Ifkovits Horner is Deputy Permanent Representative of Switzerland to the United Nations Office and to the other international organisations in Geneva and Head of the Host State Division at the Swiss Mission. She has over 20 years of experience in diplomacy and international affairs, having held various positions within the Swiss Ministry of Foreign Affairs (FDFA), the Swiss Defence Ministry and the United Nations. She has previously served as Director for Eurasia at the FDFA, as Adviser and Team Leader for the Swiss chairmanship of the OSCE in Vienna and as Diplomatic Adviser to the President of the Swiss Confederation.

VOLKER TÜRK
UN High Commissioner for Human Rights

Volker Türk is the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights with a long-standing career in the United Nations. During his illustrious UN career, he has been the Chief of Section for Protection Policy and Legal Advice at the UN High Commission for Refugees, Director of Organisational Development and Management, Director of the Division of International Protection, and the Assistant High Commissioner for Protection at the UNHCR. Volker Türk has also served as the Under-Secretary-General for Policy as part of the Executive Office of the UN Secretary-General and the Assistant Secretary-General for Strategic Coordination. He has a doctorate in international law.

MANUELA TOMEI 
Assistant Director-General for Governance, Rights and Dialogue, International Labour Organization

Manuela Tomei is the Assistant Director-General for Governance, Rights and Dialogue at the International Labour Organization (ILO). She has previously served as the Director of the Conditions of Work and Equality Department at ILO and held various posts at ILO Headquarters in Geneva and its Regional Office in Peru. She was lead coordinator of the preparatory work that culminated in the adoption of two ILO Conventions, namely, Convention 190 on violence and harassment in the world of work in 2019, and Convention 189 on decent work for domestic workers in 2011. She has also led the work that resulted in the adoption by the 2021 International Labour Conference of the Resolution on inequalities and the world of work.

CARLA QUALTROUGH
Minister of Sport and Physical Activity, Canada

Carla Qualtrough is a Canadian Minister of Sport and Physical Activity with an extensive career in government and within sports administration, having had a successful sporting career as a Paralympic swimmer - winning three medals at the Summer Paralympic Games and four World Championship titles. Minister Qualtrough is a human rights lawyer by training, and since being elected to the Canadian Parliament in 2015, has held a variety of Government positions, including serving as Minister of Sport and Physical Activity, Minister of Public Services and Procurement and Accessibility, and Minister of Employment, Workforce Development and Official Languages. She previously served as President of the Canadian Paralympic Committee and features in the Canadian Disability Hall of Fame.

EPSY CAMPBELL BARR
Chair UN Permanent Forum on People of African Descent, Former Vice President of Costa Rica

Epsy Campbell Barr is the Chairperson of the UN Permanent Forum on People of African Descent. Dr Campbell Barr is an Afro-feminist and human rights and environmental activist. She is also the founder of the Center for Afro-descendant Women and the Afro-descendant Institute for Study, Research and Development, as well as the Black Parliament of the Americas. She has also been recognised with a Lifetime Achievement Award from Justicia, and Forbes magazine recognised her as one of the most powerful women in Latin America and the Caribbean in 2019.

DAVID RODIN
Founder & Chair, Principia; Senior Fellow, University of Oxford

David Rodin is an authority on ethics and organisational culture, and has helped transform the fields of organisational and military ethics. He is Founder and Chair of the consultancy, Principia Advisory, which provides strategic advice at Board and CEO-level to global organisations in technology, banking, professional services, and the third sector. A moral philosopher, David was Co-Director of the Oxford Institute for Ethics, Law, and Armed Conflict and Co-Founder of the Oxford Changing Character of War program. A Rhodes Scholar, he started out at Boston Consulting Group, and has been honoured by the World Economic Forum as a ‘Young Global Leader’ and received the European Prize for Military Ethics and Presidential Medal of the Republic of France.

MAYI CRUZ BLANCO
Managing Director Sports Practice, Adecco

Mayi Cruz-Blanco is Managing Director of Sports Practice and Partnerships Programmes at The Adecco Group. A long-standing advocate for athletes, democracy, human rights, sustainability and good governance, Cruz-Blanco has over twenty years’ experience working for organisations such as World Archery, the International Olympic Committee and FIFA. She held the role of the Global Head of FIFA’s Women’s Football development for close to a decade, launching the first FIFA’s women’s football development programmes, including the first global leadership programme for women in football and the Live Your Goals campaign bringing girls grassroots development to over 70 countries. Mayi is also the co-founder and chair of Sports Equity+ a foundation which seeks to advance sustainability and equity within sport.

RUBÉN ESCALANTE HASBUN
Geneva Representative, Global Citizen

Ruben Escalante Hasbun is Geneva Representative at Global Citizen, an action platform committed to ending extreme poverty and promoting social justice. He is the former Ambassador of El Salvador to the United Nations in New York (2017-2019), previously serving as Diplomat responsible for human rights, humanitarian affairs and crisis situation portfolios at the Permanent Mission of El Salvador to the UN in Geneva. Rubén has also served as intergovernmental advisor with the Geneva Office of the UN Population Fund. During his diplomatic career, he led negotiations between Latin American and Caribbean States and European Union, and also collaborated with the Japan-based NGO, Peace Boat, where he liaised with the Tokyo-based diplomatic community, cooperated with civil society partners on projects in Latin America, and prepared peace and sustainability education programmes.

MATTHEW GRAHAM
Interim Executive Director of the World Players Association

Matthew Graham is a Switzerland based, Australian labour lawyer, who is the Interim Executive Director of the World Players Association (part of UNI Global Union), having been the Director of Legal & Player Relations for several years. Holding a Master’s of International Labour Law, he focuses on building player association power and ensuring the rights of players as workers – and people – are respected, protected and upheld in global sport’s governance and institutions.

MICHELLE MOORE
Author & Leadership Coach

Michelle Moore is an award-winning leadership coach, author and an international speaker, having worked with a range of organisations across the sport ecosystem, including adidas, the NBA, and the English Premier League. She is author of the critically acclaimed book: Real Wins: Race, Leadership and How to Redefine Success, and her advocacy work and coaching and leadership programmes have transformed the lives of professionals, young people, athletes, and the culture of many organisations. Moore is a globally recognised executive on leadership, strategic partnerships, and race equity. She is the recipient of the UK Precious Award for ‘Outstanding women in sport’.  Recently a Commissioner for the Independent Commission for Equity in Cricket, and she is also a senior honorary associate lecturer at the University of Worcester.

ANITA RAMASASTRY
Professor of Law, University of Washington; former member of the UN Working Group on Business & Human Rights

Anita Ramasastry is a senior academic and expert in the fields of anti-corruption, business and human rights, and law and development. She is Professor of Law and Director of the Sustainable International Development Law Graduate Program at the University of Washington School of Law. Professor Ramasastry is also the Special Representative on Combating Corruption at the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe. From 2016-22, she served as a Member and Chair of the United Nations Working Group on Business and Human Rights appointed by the UN Human Rights Council. She is also the founding co-editor in chief of the Business and Human Rights Journal.

TIHANA BULE
Head of Governance & Multilateral Relations, OECD Centre on Responsible Business Conduct

Tihana Bule is the Head of Governance and Multilateral Relations in the OECD Centre for Responsible Business Conduct (RBC). She oversees strategic engagement at the multilateral level and within the OECD, the functioning of the OECD Working Party on RBC, and efforts to integrate RBC standards in several key policy areas, including trade, investment, and infrastructure. She has worked extensively with governments and stakeholders to implement OECD instruments across Asia and MENA. Tihana previously worked in the technology sector and advised on trade, intellectual property rights, and patent infringement cases pending before the U.S. International Trade Commission. She holds an MA in Law and Diplomacy from the Fletcher School at Tufts University and a BA in Mathematics from Smith College.

RAE LINDSAY
Partner & Co-Head of Business and Human Rights, Clifford Chance LLP; Co-Chair, Business & Human Rights Lawyers Association

Rae Lindsay is a Partner at Clifford Chance who specialises in international law, litigation, transnational regulation and risk management. She is co-head of the firm's Public International Law and Business and Human Rights practices, and is a member of the Firm's ESG Board. Co-Chair of the Business and Human Rights Lawyers Association, Rae is also an advisory council member for the Institute of Business and Human Rights, and until 2020 served as a Trustee and Board Director of the Centre for Sport and Human Rights. Rae is an Advisory Board member for the New York City Bar Association Working Group on Business Human Rights, the International Bar Association Business and Human Rights Committee, and the Business and Human Rights Journal.

MAGALI MARTOWICZ
Head of Human Rights, International Olympic Committee

As Head of Human Rights, Magali Martowicz leads the development and implementation of the IOC’s strategic framework on human rights across the three spheres of influence of the IOC: IOC as an organization, IOC as owner of the Olympic Game and IOC as leader of the Olympic Movement. Magali has over 15 years of experience working on human rights - mostly for the private sector - where she led and oversaw a range of collaborations with companies, governments, investors and civil society. Magali held previous directors and board member roles in the business and human rights sector prior to joining the IOC. Magali received a MSc in Development Management from the London School of Economics and Political Science and a Master in Management from SKEMA Business School.

THEODORE THEODORIDIS
General Secretary, UEFA

Theodore Theodoridis is the General Secretary of UEFA. He joined UEFA in 2008 as the Director of the National Associations Division, with his main role being to support the UEFA member associations in the overall development of football from a strategic and operational perspective. Mr Theodoridis has also served on the UEFA Club Competitions Committee (1998-2000) and was also the Third Vice-Chairman of the same committee (2007-09). He was also a Member of the UEFA Stadium & Security Committee (2000-04) before becoming Vice-Chairman of the same committee (2004-07). Prior to joining UEFA, he was a Member of the board of the Hellenic Football Federation in his native Greece, and also served as Head of International Relations with the federation.

DAVID GREVEMBERG
Chief Innovation and Partnerships Officer, Centre for Sport & Human Rights

David Grevemberg is the Chief Innovation and Partnerships Officer at the Centre for Sport and Human Rights. Previously, David has served as the Chief Executive Officer of Commonwealth Sport, the Chief Executive Officer of the Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games Organising Committee, and the Executive Director of Sport and International Federation Relations at the International Paralympic Committee (IPC). David is a former international competitive wrestler and is currently a Black-Belt Brazilian Jiu-jitsu practitioner. Over his professional career, he has worked as team manager, athlete agent, coach, independent consultant and a Board Member for numerous charities and foundations.

STAN GRANT
Journalist, broadcaster, writer

Stan Grant is an award winning journalist with over 30 years of experience including as a radio and television presenter of news and current affairs. Stan has anchored major programmes in Australia and internationally, and reported from over 60 countries. He has also written and spoken extensively on Indigenous issues and his Aboriginal identity, as a Wiradjuri man. Stan has published four critically acclaimed and best selling books on identity and Australian Indigenous history. His focus of research and writing is around questions of identity, belonging, nationhood and his expertise lies in geo-politics, political philosophy, and race studies. Stan currently serves as the Vice Chancellor's Chair of Australian-Indigenous Belonging at Charles Sturt University, Australia.  

MARJORIE GUILLAUME
Pre-Game Training Camps, Impact & Heritage 2024, Inter-ministerial Delegation for Major Sporting Events at the French Sport Ministry

Marjorie Guillaume is the Head of Pre-Game Training Camps, Impact & Heritage 2024 at the Inter-ministerial Delegation for Major Sporting Events, located at the French Sport Ministry. She has experience across various sport organisations including Cabinet Director of the UCI, CEO of France Cricket and Head of Sport Economy for UK Trade and Investment in France. Conscious of the countless societal challenges that are compounded within the global sport realm, whether is it assisting much needed delegations preparing athletes for Paris 2024 or helping less popular cycling nations achieving higher level of integration via efficient collaboration, or promoting gender equality and diversity in cricket in France, Marjorie has always aimed to support a culture of belonging in every role she played and service to others has consistently been at the heart of her actions.

KEITH JOSEPH
President, Caribbean Association of National Olympic Committees

Keith Joseph is the president of the Caribbean Association of National Olympic Committees (CANOC). Keith has had a long career in sports administration, having previously served as Secretary General of CANOC where he played a leading role in the successful staging of the 2022 Caribbean Games in Guadeloupe, which returned to the sports calendar after 13 years. He has also held the posts of Vice President of the Pan American Sports Organisation, President of Team Athletics SVG and Secretary General of the St. Vincent and the Grenadines Olympic Committee. He has also served in the capacity of General Secretary of the North American, Central American and Caribbean Athletic Association.

AZEEM RAFIQ
Ex-Professional Cricketer & Athlete activist

Azeem Rafiq is an ex-professional cricketer, international speaker and whistleblower, who brought to light the issue of institutional racism at Yorkshire County Cricket Club. Azeem represented and captained England at Under-19 level, going on to play for Yorkshire, becoming the youngest player and first person of Asian origin to captain the side. Azeem has given evidence before the UK Parliament’s Digital, Culture, Media and Sport Select Committee about allegations of racism in English cricket. Now based in Dubai with his family, Azeem is releasing his book “It’s Not Banter, It’s Racism: What Cricket’s Dirty Secret Reveals About Our Society” in April 2024 and has become a mental health champion who works with organisations to advocate for safe culture.

LOMBE MWAMBWA
Research Director, Global Observatory for Gender Equality & Sport

Dr. Lombe Mwambwa is the Research Director at the Global Observatory for Gender Equality and Sport and a member of the University of Lausanne Institute of Sport. She has worked with sports associations, leaders of sport for development organisations, and sports policymakers in Southern Africa and in international contexts for the last 18 years. An experienced development practitioner, her research, advocacy, and practice have focused on issues of inequalities within sport and on the use of sport to address societal inequalities. Dr Mwambwa is also Secretary General at the National Organisation for Women in Sport, Physical Activity and Recreation (NOWSPAR) in Zambia.

GABRIELA GARTON
Footballer & Player Relations Coordinator, World Players Association

Dr. Gabriela Garton is a professional football player, who played for the Argentina National Football Team for eight years, including at the FIFA Women’s World Cup in 2019. For almost 3 years, she played in Australia and helped Melbourne Victory FC secure a 2021 W-League final win. However, after her pregnancy, she saw her football career jeopardised due to the lack of contracts and benefits. Gabriela is an experienced researcher on women's football and gender inequality, with a PhD in Social Studies from the University of Buenos Aires. She is also Player Relations Coordinator at the World Players Association and leads their work on women's sports.

KHALIDA POPAL
Footballer & human rights defender

Khalida Popal is the Founder and Director of Girl Power Organisation. A former defender on the football field, she is now a defender and champion of human rights around the globe. As Co-founder of Afghanistan's first National team she used football to break down barriers for women in Girls in Afghanistan, now as a refugee in Denmark using sport and education to empower ethnic minority women and promoting inclusion in Denmark and the EU through Girl Power. She played a key role in the evacuation of female footballers from Afghanistan in 2021.

NATALIE WASHINGTON
Footballer & Activist

Natalie Washington is a British transgender woman, football player and activist. She is the Campaign Lead for the Football v Transphobia campaign, which advocates for making football a better place for transgender people. She has spoken out about the inclusion of trans people in various international forums speaking to governments, intergovernmental organisations, sports bodies, grassroots organisations and the media in recent years. Natalie also consults and advises sporting organisations on trans rights and gender eligibility regulations.

PAYOSHNI MITRA
Gender & Sport Expert; Athlete Rights Advocate

Dr. Payoshni Mitra is a former badminton player and coach, athlete rights activist and a leading campaigner for the abolition of sex-testing policies in women’s sport, working closely with affected athletes to address human rights violations in sports. She assisted Indian athlete Dutee Chand to regain her rights to compete, and testified for South African Olympian Caster Semenya at the Court of Arbitration for Sport. She has co-authored a Human Rights Watch report on the lived experiences of athletes facing abusive sex-testing. She is a Director and Trustee at the Centre for Sport and Human Rights. She has previously served as the CEO of the Global Observatory for Gender Equality and Sport.

MARY ROBINSON
Founding Chair & First Patron, Centre for Sport and Human Rights

Mary Robinson is Chair of The Elders. She served as President of Ireland from 1990-1997 and UN High Commissioner for Human Rights from 1997-2002. A former President of the International Commission of Jurists and former chair of the Council of Women World Leaders, she was founder of Realizing Rights: The Ethical Globalization Initiative from 2002-2010 and served as Honorary President of Oxfam International from 2002-2012. Her Foundation, the Mary Robinson Foundation – Climate Justice, established in 2010, came to a planned end in April 2019. Mary Robinson is the Founding Chair and First Patron of the Centre for Sport and Human Rights, and serves as Patron of the Institute for Human Rights and Business.

CASTER SEMENYA
Athlete and Human Rights Activist

Caster Semenya is a South African middle-distance runner, the two-time women’s 800m Olympic Champion, a three-time 800m World Champion and a double Commonwealth Games middle distance gold medallist. From 2009 onwards, Caster has experienced human rights violations - discrimination, disrespect for her bodily autonomy and her privacy, and restrictions on her access to effective remedy - due to her federation’s eligibility policies requiring women athletes with naturally occurring high testosterone to medically lower their levels through the use of hormone treatment. She has fought against these policies and won the European Court of Human Rights appeal. Currently, her case is being reheard at the Grand Chamber of the ECHR. Caster has written a book detailing her resilience and determination throughout her career, along with her tireless courage to fight for the ability to continue doing what she loves and to transform her sport for future generations.

TATIANA VALOVAYA
Director General, United Nations Office at Geneva

Tatiana Valovaya is the current and first female Director-General of the United Nations Office at Geneva. Her expertise stems from a career spanning more than 35 years during which she has served at the Presidential and Governmental Administration of the Russian Federation, prior to becoming Head of the Monetary and Financial Policy Directorate of the Commonwealth of Independent States. She has written extensively on economic issues and cooperation and has held various positions as a part of the Permanent Mission of the Russian Federation to the European Union. She has also served with distinction at the Eurasian Economic Commission implementing integration policies and negotiating free trade agreements.

DAPHNE PANAYOTATOS

Senior Policy Advisor, Open Society Foundations

SABRINA RAZACK
Canada Project Lead, Centre for Sport & Human Rights; Course Instructor, University of Toronto

Dr. Sabrina Razack is the Project Lead for Canada at Centre for Sport and Human Rights and Assistant Professor at the Faculty of Kinesiology and Physical Education, University of Toronto. She has worked with Canadian Women & Sport, the Toronto 2015 Pan/Parapan American Games and various community organisations. Her PhD thesis involved a case study of the Black Girl Hockey Club and examined the intersections of physical activity, sport, social movements, media, race, gender, class and culture. Sabrina is an award winning curriculum writer, and developed “Beyond a Boundary”, a web-platform aimed to engage educators, parents and organisations seeking curriculum designed to provide diverse perspectives and understandings of the world.

SHIREEN AHMED
Multiplatform Sports Journalist, TEDx Speaker

Shireen Ahmed is a multi-platform Senior Contributor with CBC Sports (a division of the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation), a TEDxspeaker, a valued mentor, and an award-winning sports activist who focuses on the intersections of racism and misogyny in sports. She is additionally a global expert on Muslim women in sport. Shireen is the co-creator and co-host of “Burn It All Down”, the first feminist sports podcast to analyse sports culture through an intersectional feminist lens. She also teaches Sports Journalism and Sports Media at Toronto Metropolitan University, Toronto, Canada. Shireen received the 2018 Naiem Malik Memorial Award for her advocacy work around Muslim women in sports, and was named to the Muslim Women in Sports Powerlist in 2018 and 2019.

NÉNUCHA CISS
Journalism Student

Nénucha Ciss is a Senegalese student in her 3rd year of journalism at CESTI (Centre d'Etudes des Sciences et Techniques de l'Information) at UCAD (Université Cheikh Anta Diop de Dakar). She is part of the International Olympic Committee's Young Reporters Programme for the Youth Olympic Games Dakar 2026 which aims to provide aspiring reporters with the opportunities to work closely with experts from various fields of journalism and media. She believes that journalism, as well as being an important decision-making tool, helps to convey the human values essential to a community, such as respect for others, love, justice, compassion, solidarity and mutual aid. She plans to study communications and play an active part in Africa's development.

MONIFA MONDEROY
Journalism student

Monifa Monderoy is a 21-year-old student pursuing a Bachelor of Arts in Journalism at the College of Science, Technology, and Applied Arts of Trinidad and Tobago. Her journalistic journey began in 2017 as a Sports Intern at the prominent local media outlet, TV6. Monifa has refined her skills through workshops with the Media Institute of the Caribbean and the Trinidad and Tobago Publishers and Broadcasters Association. In 2023, Monifa collaborated with the International Safeguards for Children in Sport, UNICEF UK, and the Commonwealth Games Federation, where she captured compelling content through interviews across the Commonwealth Games, Trinbago 2023. Monifa is passionate about literature, writes fiction, and strives for high standards of excellence through her journalistic expertise and commitment to quality.

MIRIAM WALKER-KHAN
Diversity & Inclusion reporter, Sky Sports

Miriam Walker-Khan is a sports reporter and writer, and Sky Sport’s first Diversity and Inclusion Reporter. She is also the editor of SEASON zine and the founder of Brown Girl Sport, a platform which aims to celebrate and tell the stories of South Asian women in sport. She was a sprinter and multi-eventer for 12 years growing up and while studying French and English Literature at the University of Manchester. Miriam has previously worked with BBC Sports and written for publications such as the New York Times, Guardian Opinion and gal-dem. At the FIFA Women’s World Cup in 2023, she produced, edited and presented Brown Girl Sport’s first podcast series: ‘25%’, as well as social media content for adidas.

KAT CRAIG
Special Advisor, Centre for Sport & Human Rights; Founder & CEO, Athlead

Kat Craig is human rights lawyer, CEO of sport and human rights consultancy, Athlead, and Special Advisor to the Centre for Sport and Human Rights where she leads the Roadmap to Remedy research project collaborating with victims, survivors and whistleblowers to co-create guidance on safe, effective and appropriate investigation and resolution mechanisms to tackle abuse in sport. Kat is a member of the IOC’s Safeguarding in Sport Certificate Academic Advisory Board and was an Independent Expert on FIFA’s Global Steering Group on developing an International Safe Sport Entity. Having supported victims and survivors of abuse in sport globally, Kat is the recipient of many awards, including the Integrity & Impact Award at the Sport Industry Awards (2022) and Celia Brackenridge Award for Services to Safe Sport (2023).

MILES BENJAMIN
Former Professional Rugby Player; Trainee Solicitor, Clifford Chance LLP

Miles Benjamin is a former professional rugby player with Worcester Warriors and Leicester Tigers. He is now a trainee solicitor at Clifford Chance and recently worked on secondment at the Centre for Sport and Human Rights, focusing on remedy and the conduct of investigations into abuse. He has also serves as a disciplinary panel member for the Rugby Football Union.

KIRSTY BURROWS
Head of Safe Sport Unit, International Olympic Committee

Kirsty Burrows is head of the safe sport unit at the International Olympic Committee where she is leading the drive to strengthen safeguarding in sport from the local to the international level, and programmes related to the protection and promotion of mental health and well-being in and through sport. Kirsty is also the academic director of the IOC Certificate: Safeguarding Officer in Sport, a member of the Council of Europe’s Pro Safe Sport+ pool of international experts, and a board member of the International Safeguards for Children in Sport. She has previous experience as managing director of Sport Rights Solutions as well as a safeguarding consultant for the International Cricket Council.

JOANNA MARANHAO
Athlete; Network Coordinator, Sport & Rights Alliance

Former Brazilian Olympic swimmer Joanna Maranhao is the current network coordinator for Sport and Rights Alliance. She advocates for the safeguarding of athletes undertaking research into the issue as well as leading campaigns. One such campaign was to extend the statutes of limitations in Brazil allowing more time for victims of child sexual abuse to seek justice. She is now leading a project that seeks to create a Global Survivors network that will gauge interest in the creation of an international network for facilitating greater exchange, advocacy and support for athletes who are survivors of abuse.

MINAL DAVIS
Director, Mayor’s Office of Human Trafficking and Domestic Violence & HOU26 Human Rights Chair

Minal Davis is the Chair of the Houston 2026 Men’s FIFA World Cup Bid Committee’s Human Rights Sub-Committee and Founding Director of the Mayor’s Office of Human Trafficking, the first municipal-level positions of their kind in the USA. In these roles, she works closely with local and national governments, civil society actors and sports bodies to advance a human rights legacy in the context of the World Cup. She has previously served as the Special Advisor to the Houston Mayor on Human Trafficking.

Danne Diamond
Director of Policy and Programs for Athlete Ally

Danne Diamond (they/them) is the Director of Policy and Programs for Athlete Ally, the leading nonprofit organisation working to ensure that everyone – no matter their sexual orientation, gender identity and expression or sex characteristics – has equal opportunity in and access to sport. For the past fifteen years, Danne has been at the forefront of advancing LGBTQI+ rights and gender equity globally, including leading grantmaking and advocacy efforts in South and Southeast Asia for American Jewish World Service (AJWS) and two years in Thailand on a Fulbright Fellowship conducting research on gender and sexuality in Muay Thai. Previously, Danne worked as a researcher for the Bronx African American History Project (BAAHP) and was awarded a Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture Fellowship. Danne holds an M.A. from Columbia University in Human Rights and a B.A. in African and African American Studies and Women's Studies from Fordham University. A 3x national champion Muay Thai fighter and coach, Danne co-founded USA Muaythai's Gender Equality Commission. Danne currently lives in Brooklyn, New York. 

MATTHEW MULLEN
Head of Human Rights, FIFA World Cup 2026

Dr. Matthew Mullen is the Head of Human Rights at FIFA World Cup 2026. He has worked on a wide range of human rights and peace projects, from small-holder dairy farms in Ethiopia and conflict-affected communities in Myanmar to global reports for the United Nations and special initiatives for world-wide brands. Matthew is the founder of A30, a human rights organisation that aims to advance humanity and promote shared prosperity through leading-edge research, targeted training, and bespoke advisory services. Matthew is a global expert on the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights and has advised the UN, governments as well as businesses and foundations. He holds a PhD in Human Rights and Peace Studies.

LEE STRIEB
AFL-CIO International Affairs Team

Lee Strieb is working with the AFL-CIO International Affairs team on labor rights and human rights issues surrounding the 2026 Men’s World Cup. From 1988 until 2020, he worked as a researcher and leader with UNITE HERE, the union of hotel and food service workers in North America. In that role, he participated in a wide range of campaigns, and for many years led a national program to ensure that hotel development projects in the U.S. provide positive benefits for workers and communities. Lee received his B.A. from Yale University in 1986 and lives in San Mateo, California.

TRACEY HOLMES
Reporter & Lecturer

Tracey Holmes is an award-winning senior reporter and journalist focusing on the politics, governance and business of sport and presenter of The Ticket Podcast.
She is Australia's first female host of a national sports programme on ABC’s Grandstand. With 30 years experience, she has anchored, reported and commentated from many of the world's biggest events, including 14 Olympic and Paralympic Games. She has experience as a media spokesperson for the Sydney Organising Committee for the Olympic Games as well as sports broadcasting in Hong Kong, Beijing and Abu Dhabi. Tracey is the recipient of the Australian Sports Commission’s Lifetime Achievement Award in acknowledgement of her contributions to reporting on women’s sport and mentoring women sports journalists.