Harm Reduction International is governed by a Board of Directors, elected for three-year terms of office.
At our Annual General Meeting in 2015, the membership approved a change in HRI's governance from an Association model to a Foundation model.
Board of Directors
Kojo Koram
Kojo Koram is an academic, teaching at the School of Law at Birkbeck College, University of London. He was called to the Bar of England and Wales in November 2011 and received his PhD in September… Read more
Alex Stevens
Alex Stevens is Professor in Criminal Justice at the University of Kent and a Senior Editor of the International Journal of Drug Policy . Alex's first job in the field was in 1991 as a caseworker… Read more
Saumya Kailasapathy
Saumya is currently a Program Manager at the Asian Development Bank with over 17 years of experience working in finance and strategy, including work for Clinton Health Access Initiative and Deutsche… Read more
Olga Belyaeva
Olga Belyaeva is a drug policy reform activist from Ukraine with two decades of experience in advocacy, services and community mobilising. In 2001, Olga pioneered the community needle exchange… Read more
Patricia Haddad - Treasurer
Patricia Haddad is a public health professional and consultant, with over 10 years of experience in the fields of HIV/AIDS, drugs, and harm reduction. Patricia started working in these fields at… Read more
Pat O'Hare
Professor Pat O'Hare was the Executive Director of Harm Reduction International from its founding in 1996 until he stepped down in 2004. Read more
John Ryan - Chair
John Ryan is CEO of Penington Institute, an organisation that connects substance use research to practical action including by facilitating International Overdose Awareness Day - a campaign to… Read more
Ivan Varentsov - Secretary
Ivan Varentsov is Information and Advocacy Coordinator at Andrey Rylkov Foundation for Health and Social Justice Read more