Brandee M. Butler

Incoming CEO, IHRB (joining November 2025)

Brandee M. Butler is a trained lawyer, human rights advocate, and philanthropic strategist with over 20 years of experience advancing justice through international foundations, civil society organisations, and the private sector.

She has held key leadership roles, including Deputy and Interim CEO at the Fund for Global Human Rights and Director of the Civil Liberties Division at the Open Society Initiative for Europe. She brings a wealth of knowledge in business and human rights having led transformative initiatives as the Head of Human Rights and Gender Justice at the C&A (now Laudes) Foundation and as Program Manager for Europe, the Middle East, and Africa at the Levi Strauss Foundation.  

Early in her career, Brandee was awarded the Yale Law School Bernstein Fellowship for International Human Rights, and worked in Gabon with UNICEF to combat child trafficking in West and Central Africa. She later practiced law at the Alliance for Children’s Rights and funded human rights and international justice initiatives as a Program Officer at the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation.

Brandee has spoken and published widely on topics including civic space, climate justice, structural racism, modern slavery, gender-based violence, and supply chain transparency. She currently serves on the board of Just Associates (JASS), a feminist movement-building organisation, and as Chair of the Advisory Board of Ariadne, a European network of human rights and social justice funders. Brandee earned her Bachelor’s degree with honors from Harvard University and her JD from Yale Law School and is based in Barcelona.