Coalition Welcomes Former Top UN Official and Philanthropy Leader
(Amsterdam, 30 April 2025) – The Sport & Rights Alliance (SRA) is pleased to announce the appointment of Dr. Kathleen Cravero as its new Board Chair. Bringing over three decades of experience championing child rights, gender equity, and coalition building, Kathleen joins the SRA at a critical moment, as the rising threats to human rights and transparency across the globe create a greater demand for the innovative, transversal power of the sport and human rights movement.
“We are thrilled to welcome as our new Board Chair, Dr. Kathleen Cravero, whose unwavering commitment to ending violence against women and children aligns perfectly with our work to end abuse, discrimination and other human rights violations both on and off the field,” said Andrea Florence, Executive Director of the Sport & Rights Alliance. “We are particularly grateful to benefit from Kathleen’s extensive experience in the UN system, coalition building and global philanthropy as the SRA moves into our next stage of growth and strategy development.”
Kathleen’s distinguished career spans international development and philanthropy, including senior leadership positions across five UN agencies, most notably as Assistant Secretary General for Conflict Prevention and Recovery at UN Development Programme (UNDP) and Deputy Executive Director of the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV and AIDS (UNAIDS). Her on-the-ground experience in countries such as Burundi, Uganda, and Chad provides her with firsthand knowledge of social justice and collective action challenges across diverse settings and affected groups, as well as extensive skills in leadership, diplomacy and action-oriented convenings.
“Throughout my career, I’ve witnessed the unique power of collective action to support those whose rights have been violated or are at risk,” said Kathleen, Board Chair of the Sport & Rights Alliance. “Sport is a new and exciting channel for me. I believe in its extraordinary ability to transcend cultural, geographical, and political divides, especially in the face of historic turmoil and backlash. I’m honored to join the Sport & Rights Alliance. I look forward to help the SRA find new, creative ways to elevate voices of the marginalized, shift narratives and weave human rights into the very fabric of society.”
Most recently, Kathleen served as President of Oak Foundation for ten years until 2019, where she oversaw a vast range of thematic programmes – from housing rights to issues affecting women, environment, human rights and child rights. Currently a Distinguished Lecturer at CUNY School of Public Health and co-Director of CUNY’s Center for Immigrant, Refugee and Global Health Policy, Kathleen continues her work as an independent consultant focused on ending violence against children and global development issues. She holds a Ph.D. in Political Science from Fordham University and a Master’s in Public Health from Columbia University.
Kathleen succeeds the SRA’s inaugural Board Chair Jyrki Raina, who had previously served as General Secretary of IndustriALL Global Union. As Board Chair, Kathleen will chair internal meetings of the SRA Core Partners, Board, and Senior Leadership Committee, and support the Executive Director in strategy development and implementation.
“The SRA is forever indebted to Jyrki Raina’s deft leadership and support over the past four years, which enabled our strategic and organizational development – as well as our significant growth in size, impact, and funding diversification,” said Andrea Florence, Executive Director of the Sport & Rights Alliance. “We look forward to building upon his legacy as we continue our pursuit of a world where sport is an authentic force for good.”
