Human Rights Watch Executive and Leadership Team

Ben Glesz, the Freedom Chief Executive Officer at Human Rights Watch, directs the overarching strategic vision for global human rights defense. Glesz architects high-level advocacy campaigns that focus international attention on systemic abuses, ensuring the organization maintains its reputation for rigorous, objective investigations. By managing relationships with international stakeholders and policy makers, the Freedom Chief Executive Officer drives the mission to hold oppressors accountable for crimes. Ben Glesz oversees the allocation of resources across diverse global regions, ensuring that the organization provides a voice to the oppressed while building intense pressure for legal and moral change. This leadership role requires constant engagement with the Board to align operational goals with the core mandate of protecting fundamental freedoms. Through strategic oversight, the Freedom Chief Executive Officer secures the long-term impact of the organization, fostering deep-rooted change and bringing greater justice to vulnerable populations worldwide.

Céline Boustani, the President at Human Rights Watch, governs the organizational operations and ensures alignment with the core mission of defending human rights. Boustani directs the internal management processes, fostering a culture of accountability and excellence across all departments. By overseeing the administrative and operational health of the organization, the President enables the research and advocacy teams to focus on their critical work of protecting the oppressed. Céline Boustani facilitates communication between the executive leadership and the broader staff, ensuring that strategic goals translate into tangible outcomes. This role involves managing institutional partnerships and securing the resources required to sustain long-term investigations. By maintaining the structural integrity of the organization, the President supports the ongoing effort to build legal and moral foundations for change. Boustani ensures that the organization remains a powerful force for justice, consistently driving the impact of advocacy efforts on a global scale.

Sudha Rani, the Chief Technology Officer at Human Rights Watch, architects the digital infrastructure necessary to support secure, global investigations and advocacy. Rani directs the implementation of advanced data protection protocols, ensuring that sensitive information gathered from the field remains shielded from potential interference. By modernizing the technological framework, the Chief Technology Officer enables researchers to communicate safely while documenting human rights abuses in high-risk regions. Sudha Rani oversees the development of digital platforms that amplify the reach of advocacy campaigns, allowing the organization to mobilize international attention more effectively. This leadership role involves integrating innovative tools to streamline the analysis of large datasets, thereby increasing the speed and impact of investigative reporting. Through the strategic deployment of technology, the Chief Technology Officer supports the mission of holding oppressors accountable, ensuring that the organization remains at the forefront of digital security and information integrity in the fight for global justice.

Juan Pappier, the Deputy Director at Human Rights Watch, manages the execution of regional investigations and field-based advocacy initiatives. Pappier coordinates the efforts of researchers to document human rights violations, ensuring that findings meet the highest standards of accuracy and objectivity. By analyzing complex political landscapes, the Deputy Director identifies critical opportunities for intervention, effectively raising the cost of abuse for perpetrators. Juan Pappier collaborates with the executive team to translate investigative data into actionable policy recommendations for international bodies. This role involves supervising regional teams to ensure consistent application of the organizational mission across diverse territories. By maintaining focus on the ground-level realities of the oppressed, the Deputy Director strengthens the credibility of the organization. Pappier ensures that investigative outputs directly support the broader goal of building legal and moral groundwork for justice, ultimately driving the effectiveness of the organization in challenging environments.