The Team

Right To Play/International/the team/The Team

Right To Play is lead by a strong team of professionals, all experts in their fields.

Leadership Team

	JOHANN OLAV KOSS President and CEO, Right To Play A four-time Olympic Gold Medalist, Johann Olav Koss is a legendary winter athlete and a pioneer in the field of Sport for Development. Outside his role as President, CEO and Founder of Right To Play, Johann is active in many sport-related causes. In 1997, Johann was appointed Chairman of the Norwegian Government Forum against Drugs and Doping. He is also on the board of an organization called “MOT” (Courage) that mobilizes Norwegian athletes in the fight against drugs and doping. He was a member of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) Athlete’s Commission from 1998 to 2002. » Read More

	Dennis Lepholtz Chief Financial Officer Dennis Lepholtz joined Right To Play in October 2005 as Chief Financial Officer. As a member of the Executive Team, Dennis is responsible for the management of all aspects of Right To Play International’s finances including direction and management of financial accounting, reporting, budgeting, forecasting, audits, internal controls and cash management » Read More

	Karen Scanlan Vice President, Human Resources Karen came to Right To Play in September of 2011 with an extensive background leading human resources and organization development teams. Prior to joining Right To Play, she worked with several large North American service and retail organizations as an HR leader. » Read More

	David Danylewich Global Director, Strategic Planning and Systems David joined Right To Play in February 2008. He has 20 years of varied experience in Canada and abroad. After a short stint in industrial design after graduating from his undergraduate degree, he found his true calling and transitioned to the NGO world. » Read More

	Michael Dodsworth Director, Human Resources Michael joined Right To Play in September 2005. He is responsible for the development and delivery of Right To Play’s Human Resources functions and ensuring that HR systems at Right To Play reflect best practices and the organization’s mission, vision and values. » Read More

	Evelyne Guindon Vice President International Programs Evelyne joined Right To Play as Vice President International Programs in March 2013. Evelyne brings over 20 years of experience innovating, resourcing and delivering sustainable development programs. » Read More

	Sean Neeb Senior Director, International Programs Sean has more than 10 years of international humanitarian and development experience. Having joined Right To Play as a Program Officer in 2001, Sean’s responsibilities included planning and project design, proposal and report writing, project and grant management, training and resource development. » Read More

	Sharon Petrie Vice President, National Offices Sharon joined Right To Play as Vice President, National Offices in February 2013. Until recently, she worked for many years with Habitat for Humanity in a variety of roles and locations. Starting as a Volunteer in Guatemala in 2002, she progressed to the roles of International Donor Manager and Donor Consultant. » Read More

	Karl Reynolds Vice President, Global Partnerships Karl joined Right To Play as Vice President, Global Partnerships in September 2012. Until recently, he was the Sport Relief Director and the Head of Fundraising at Comic Relief, an organization that aims to drive positive change through the power of entertainment. » Read More

	Laura Currie Ryder Global Director, Marketing and Communications A communications professional with more than 15 years experience, Laura has a wide range of professional experience in strategic communications, public relations and media campaigns and the development of corporate social responsibility initiatives. » Read More

	Kevin M. Taylor Vice President Philanthropy Kevin M. Taylor joined Right To Play as Vice President Philanthropy in February 2013. Prior to that, he oversaw United Way of New York City's resource development efforts from November 2010. » Read More

	Nina Valentic Senior Director, International Programs: WAFA and Asia Nina Valentic has more than 20 years of experience in international development with expertise that includes the design, development and implementation of technical co-operation, humanitarian assistance and development programs. » Read More

	Lalit Varma Global Director Finance and Controller Lalit graduated in Commerce from the University of Delhi and is a Professional Cost and Management Accountant. He immigrated to Canada in the year 2002 and completed his designations in Certified Public Accountancy (CPA) and Certified Information Systems Auditor (CISA) in the United States. » Read More

	Sarah Warren Senior Director Policy, Evaluation and Institutional Partnerships Sarah joined Right to Play in March 2013 as Senior Director for Policy, Evaluation, and Institutional Partnerships. Sarah has more than 18 years of experience designing and managing humanitarian, development, and advocacy programs that serve communities affected by crisis and poverty. » Read More


National Directors

	Robert Witchel National Director, Canada As the head of the Canadian National Office, Robert is responsible for leading Canadian revenue development, athlete and sports alliances, communications and stewardship activities. » Read More

	Karijn Akkerman National Director, Netherlands Karijn has been with Right To Play, The Netherlands since June 2011. Prior to joining Right To Play, Karen worked for 5 years at the Female Cancer Foundation where she was program director was responsible for the design and implementation of projects to combat cervical cancer in developing countries. » Read More

	Laila Andresen National Director, Norway Laila is one of the most long-standing team members of Right To Play, having been on board since 2002. A former speed skater herself, Laila was Johann Koss’s Team Leader throughout his Olympic career. » Read More

	Peter Marschel Managing Director, Switzerland Peter Marschel joins Right To Play as Managing Director after serving 14 very successful years as the manager of the Zurich Ballet, where he made a major contribution to the lasting success of the renowned cultural institution. » Read More

	Nick Smith National Director, United Kingdom Nick started with Right To Play in October 2011. He has a wealth of experience in the third sector and the sports industry. » Read More

	Lindsay Hower National Director, United States Lindsay Hower serves as the U.S. National Director of Right To Play and works alongside her colleagues on the global leadership team to raise revenue and raise awareness about Right To Play’s work in the United States.. » Read More


Regional Directors

	Peter de Keijzer Regional Operations Director, East and Southern Africa Peter joined Right To Play in May of 2011 as the Regional Operations Director for the EASA Region. Prior to joining Right To Play, Peter spent 3 years with Trocaire as the Regional Manager and over 7 years with Cordaid Foundation in a variety of managerial roles. » Read More

	Dr. Dennis Bright Regional Director, West and Francophone Africa Dennis has more than 15 years of professional experience working for International NGOs, plus eight years experience with national-level governance and policy making. » Read More