IHRB announces Julia Batho as new CEO
30 June 2026
We are delighted to announce that Julia Batho has been appointed CEO.
Julia has been with the organisation for eight years, recently serving as Acting CEO and previously Deputy CEO. During her time at IHRB, Julia has led many of IHRB’s key initiatives, including establishing the organisation’s presence in Southeast Asia, as well as the regional initiative Gulf Sustain.
Julia is a trained lawyer and human rights expert with 20 years’ experience in the fields of labour rights, migration and responsible business conduct. Prior to IHRB, Julia worked at the International Labour Organisation in Southeast Asia and Geneva in their forced labour and labour migration programmes.
It’s an honour to be appointed CEO of IHRB. Since joining the organisation eight years ago I’ve seen our work and impact grow significantly, helping to embed human rights in boardrooms and business operations around the world. At a time when division often dominates, we need collaboration, respectful dialogue, diplomacy and collective action more than ever. One of IHRB’s enduring strengths is its ability to bring together diverse voices to tackle complex challenges and find common ground. I look forward to continuing to work with IHRB’s team and partners to bring about change in corporate practice and contribute to a fairer, more sustainable future
Julia Batho
IHRB CEO
It is with great pleasure that we endorse Julia Batho as CEO. Julia is a steadfast leader who has helped IHRB go from strength to strength over the years in her role as Deputy CEO and more recently as Acting CEO. Julia is highly respected and trusted in the business and human rights space and her expertise, experience, and clear strategic vision resulted in the Board of Trustees’ unanimous support to take IHRB forward – we are incredibly grateful and supportive as she takes on this role at such a critical time.
Daniel D’Ambrosio and Deanna Kemp
Co-chairs of IHRB’s Board of Trustees
