HERproject Team

Batoul Bennani

Associate | Paris

Batoul works with BSR member companies across industries in human rights.

Prior to joining BSR, Batoul was a project officer at Thinkers & Doers, a French think tank, where she conducted interviews, collected data, and created visuals for reports. She also coordinated the think tank’s flagship conferences. Before this role, Batoul worked at the United Nations for the Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia and at Groupe SOS, where she was organized a high-level conference on social and inclusive economy.

Batoul holds a Bachelor of Private Law and a Master’s in Business Law from Université Paris II - Panthéon Assas and a Master’s in Comparative Law from Université Paris - Descartes. She also went on an academic exchange program at the University of Buenos Aires, where she studied international law and women’s rights.

Batoul is fluent in French and English and is proficient in Spanish and Arabic.

HERproject Team

Cecilia Chiu

Manager | Hong Kong

Cecilia ensures the smooth running of Hong Kong office by serving as the key contact for human resources, finance, and information technology.

Cecilia also supports the set-up, delivery, and closure of consulting projects; monitors the logistics of working groups; and manages a multitude of administrative tasks necessary to keep project teams up and running. She collaborates with project managers and multidisciplinary teams on financial administrative issues, including financial reporting and coordination with the Shared Services team in San Francisco.

Prior to joining BSR, Cecilia worked for Kaplan Financial, where, as an assistant project leader, she implemented management and operational strategies during a relocation in Hong Kong. Cecilia also has provided consulting services to students and parents on language-learning and study in the U.K.

Cecilia holds a B.Com. in Management and Marketing from Curtin University of Technology.

HERproject Team

Chris He

Associate | China

Chris is based in BSR’s Guangzhou office. His primary work includes coordinating supply chain projects in factories and facilitating the HERproject South China team’s brand engagement and workshop activities.

Aside from Chris’ daily coordination work, he also focuses on specific projects under HERhealth and HERfinance.

Previously, Chris worked in administration at Procter & Gamble and Exxon Mobil, focusing on organizing collaboration meetings and contributing other facilitation services. Chris was born and grew up in Guangzhou and he is fluent in Cantonese, Mandarin, and English.

Chris holds a degree in Business Administration from Guangdong Radio and TV University.

HERproject Team

Justin Hui

Associate | Hong Kong

Justin leads on the implementation of HERproject programs in Vietnam..

Prior to joining BSR, Justin was a startup owner providing professional training services to Japanese expats in Hong Kong, focusing on communication and presentation skills so that they were able to better navigate Hong Kong’s multicultural business environment. He has experience in curriculum, business, and strategy development. Before that, Justin was an English teacher and manager at a South Korea-based education center.

Justin has a B.A. in International Studies from the University of Toronto and an M.B.A. from the Chinese University of Hong Kong.

HERproject Team

Taslima Khanam

HERproject Country Coordinator | Bangladesh

Taslima supports the implementation of HERproject in Bangladesh. She coordinates with HERproject local stakeholders, including the suppliers, local brand representatives, and HERproject local partners. She also works closely on the capacity building of the local partners. 

Before joining BSR, she worked at Innovations for Poverty Action (IPA) as a Research Officer. In addition, she has experience of working on development projects with international and national organizations such as World Bank Bangladesh, Caritas Bangladesh, Chemists Without Borders, and Rotaract Club de Reims. 

Taslima acquired a BSc in Public Health at the Asian University for Women (AUW) and a Master’s in Public Health at North South University (NSU). She is a certified mediator based on social skills, conflict resolution, mediation, and intercultural communication. Taslima is passionate about working in sustainable development related to women’s empowerment and health.

HERproject Team

Alexandra Kolev

Coordinator | Paris

Alexandra supports BSR’s Collaborative Initiatives portfolio, facilitating the development and implementation of impactful multi-stakeholder solutions that tackle systemic challenges to the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), including climate change, economic inequity, and gender inequality.

Prior to joining BSR, Alexandra developed global partnerships to foster business transformation and inclusive innovation within the financial services industry. Before this, Alexandra supported policy development at the International Chamber of Commerce, collaborating across multiple workstreams to promote responsible business conduct and scale business action to accelerate progress toward the SDGs. Alexandra began her career in the private sector, coordinating international trade and supply chain litigation projects for a global, multi-sector clientele. She speaks English, French, and German.

Alexandra holds a Master’s in International Public Management, with specializations in Global Economic Policy and Diplomacy, from the Institut d'Etudes Politiques de Paris (Sciences Po). She graduated magna cum laude with a B.A. in International Affairs and French from the George Washington University.

HERproject Team

Cherry Lin

Manager | China

Cherry manages the implementation of HERproject, a factory-based initiative focused on improving health and awareness of female workers in South China.

She is responsible for managing the overall implementation of the program, monitoring quality, communicating with brands and factories, and expanding the presence of HERproject throughout the country.  Cherry also works for the Walmart Green Farmer Program, and participates in farm visits during which she communicates with agricultural experts and farms to share best practices for smooth and high-quality farm needs assessments and trainings.

Prior to joining BSR, Cherry worked for Guangdong Overseas Construction Co. Ltd., where she coordinated activities between the Guangzhou headquarters and overseas offices. In this capacity, she developed worker-deployment plans and supported various workers’ trainings.

Cherry holds a B.A. in English Literature from Chongqing University.

HERproject Team

Isadora Loreto

Manager, HERproject | France

Isadora is the global lead for HERrespect, HERproject’s pillar dedicated to promoting gender equality and tackling violence against women. She also manages HERproject in Bangladesh, India, and Cambodia, where she is responsible for overall program implementation, quality monitoring, and communication with brands and factories.

Isadora was originally based in BSR’s Hong Kong office. Prior to joining BSR, Isadora worked at the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UNESCAP)’s Bangkok office, where she was part of the gender and social inclusion division. In this role, she focused on gender equality and women’s empowerment policies in the Asia-Pacific region.

Isadora holds a Master’s Degree in International Law and Economics, with a focus on International Development and Humanitarian Action, from the Institut d'Etudes Humanitaires - Université Paul Cézanne Aix Marseille III. She is a native French speaker and is fluent in English and Spanish.

HERproject Team

Laura Macias

Manager | France

Laura contributes to HERproject’s workplace program in global supply chains by conducting research and program management.

Prior to joining BSR, Laura was a public policy consultant at the OECD Observatory of Public Sector Innovation in Paris, researching innovation trends and the relationship between innovation, artificial intelligence, and diversity. She also managed relations with Latin American governments. Before her experience at the OECD, Laura worked at UNICEF for four years in corporate partnerships and fundraising while based in her home country of Colombia. She has also worked in communications and project management in a B corporation and in TECHO, an international NGO focused on poverty alleviation in Latin America.

Laura has experience working with HIV-positive vulnerable women in Kenya, helping them strengthen and build small businesses for economic empowerment.

Laura is also a columnist on topics related to gender equality and speaks Spanish, English, and French. Laura has a Master’s degree in Public Affairs from the Institut d’Etudes Politiques de Paris (Sciences Po), a Bachelor’s degree in Communications from the Pontificia Universidad Javeriana, and completed a fellowship in public leadership at the Unversidad de los Andes.

HERproject Team

Ella Moffat

Manager | France

Ella manages the HERfinance Digital Wages program, in partnership with the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. The program supports ready made garment factories to digitize wage payments for 150,000 workers—mainly women—in Bangladesh and India.

Before joining BSR, Ella was partnership manager on CARE International UK’s private-sector engagement team, working closely with companies including Barclays, Mondelez International, and GSK to develop mutually beneficial partnerships and deliver business and social impact, with a focus on women’s economic empowerment and financial inclusion. Ella also spent three years as a VSO fundraising advisor in India working for grassroots disability and rural development organizations.

Ella holds a Master’s in Development Studies from Birkbeck, University of London.

HERproject Team

Smita Nimilita

HERproject Country Representative | Bangladesh

Smita leads the implementation of HERproject in Bangladesh. She also supports the development of HERfinance Digital Wages Program in other countries, including Egypt and Cambodia. Previously, she was a Research Associate at Innovations for Poverty Action (IPA), a research and policy nonprofit organization that discovers and promotes effective solutions to global poverty issues. She completed her intership with IDLC Finance Ltd.

Smita holds an MBA from North South University, Bangladesh. She enjoys travelling, yoga, meditation, reading, and spending time with her marine aquarium and with her family.

HERproject Team

Lauren Shields

Director | France

Lauren is responsible for the global implementation and quality of HERproject programming.

She also oversees HERproject’s strategy for monitoring and evaluation and program sustainability and contributes to BSR’s women’s empowerment practice.

Previously, Lauren worked at the Social Science Research Council in New York, where she conducted research on migration, development, and human rights. Lauren’s consulting experience includes giving advice on best practices for monitoring and evaluation for the Center for Socio-Economic Development and developing recommendations on the post-2015 Millennium Development Goals agenda for UNDP. With a focus on sustainability in emerging markets, Lauren has led research projects on value chain development and women’s empowerment in Ethiopia, Kenya, and Vietnam.

Lauren holds an M.A. in Public Affairs from Sciences Po and a B.A. in International Relations from Tufts University.

HERproject Team

Kamrul Hossain Shuvo

HERproject Country Coordinator | India

Kamrul manages the implementation of HERfinance. He is responsible for managing overall implementation of the program, for monitoring quality, and for communicating with brands, suppliers, local implementing partners, and mobile financial service providers.  

Prior to joining BSR, Kamrul worked as Assistant Director at a Bangladeshi social enterprise, Dnet, where his main focus was on expanding the horizon of financial accessibility of micro-merchants of Bangladesh, in collaboration with United Nations Capital Development Fund. Before that, he worked at the world’s largest NGO, BRAC, in collaboration with University of Berkley, introducing new financial products for people affected by floods. Kamrul also co-founded two award winning youth organizations in an effort to drive positive social change. Kamrul is an avid football fan and loves to read during his spare time.

Kamrul holds a Bachelor’s and a Master’s degree in Economics from the University of Dhaka.

HERproject Team

Sethypong Sok

HERproject Country Representative | Cambodia

Sethypong is the representative for HERproject in Cambodia. He is a passionate development practitioner with expertise in program management, social development, gender, financial inclusion, communication campaigns, and digital innovation.

Prior to working at HERproject, he led program development and strategy and provided technical assistance to government, not-for-profit organization, unions, associations, and other international organizations in Cambodia and in the region.

Sethypong has strong experience working with vulnerable groups including children, women, survivors of labor and sexual exploitation, victims of trafficking, and unaccompanied migrant children. He also has specific experience working in supply chains from his time as a Trainer with Youth Employment Service Centre (YESC). In this role he provided support services and training to factory managers, workers (particularly women workers), and young people.

HERproject Team

Lisa Staxäng

Associate Director | France

Lisa manages and oversees HERproject's partnerships and relationships with brands. In this role, she helps brands to deepen their engagement with HERproject and leverage opportunities for impact.

Prior to joining BSR, Lisa was a lawyer at a corporate law firm in Brussels and Stockholm, where she advised clients on corporate sustainability, compliance, and corporate governance. She previously worked as a law clerk at Stockholm District Court, and she has experience in rule-of-law monitoring under a developing-country context from her missions as a trial observer and board member of the Swedish Section of the International Commission of Jurists. Lisa also disseminated and implemented EU-funded research project on human trafficking for sexual exploitation. 

Lisa holds a Master’s Degree in Development Practice from Sciences Po, Paris, and an LL.M. from Uppsala University. A Swedish native, Lisa also speaks English, French, and German.

HERproject Team

Christine Svarer

Director, HERproject | France

Christine leads BSR’s HERproject—our women's empowerment workplace program that brings together global and local companies, business associations, and donors to support women in global supply chains through health, finance, and other curricula.

With more than 15 years working in international development, Christine has substantial global experience in women’s economic empowerment, private-sector development, financial inclusion, value chain development, enterpreneurship, cross-sector partnerships, and social enterprise.

Prior to BSR, Christine was the director of women’s economic empowerment at CARE International, leading the organization’s global work to support 30 million women and give them greater access to and control over economic resources and opportunities. Before that, Christine led CARE International’s work on private-sector development, focusing on inclusive business models and bottom-of-the-pyramid social enterprise development, and significantly expanding CARE’s strategic engagement with companies. Christine also previously worked on building leadership training programs for sustainable development at Lead International and for the United Nations Development Programme. She speaks English, Spanish and Danish.

Christine holds an M.S. in International Development and Business and a B.S. in International Business and Modern Languages, both from Copenhagen Business School. She also holds an Advanced Business Management degree from IESE Business School. 

HERproject Team

Jessica Witten

Associate | France

Jessica is a HERproject Associate working on programs across East Africa and Asia. Her portfolio includes projects in each HERproject pillar, including HERrespect, HERhealth, and HERfinance.

Prior to joining BSR, Jessica worked extensively on international development and human rights. Most recently, she was part of the Global Public Policy team at the Walt Disney Company and worked on international human rights policy with an emphasis on labor and supply chain issues. Jessica’s background includes previous roles at the U.S. House of Representatives, the International Monetary Fund, and the U.S. Department of State. She has also done field work in Myanmar and India.

Jessica holds an M.Sc. in Human Rights from the London School of Economics and Political Science. She also has a B.A. in International Relations with a minor in French and in International Development from Wheaton College. Jessica is fluent in English and French.

HERproject Team

Ryan Zhang

Trainer | China

Ryan supports BSR’s women’s empowerment practice through the HERproject and the Women in Factories China program, as well as other projects on leadership training and equal employment opportunities for women.

These programs all aim to help women workers in global supply chains reach their potential by providing them with workplace trainings. Ryan’s work involves communication with different stakeholders for program implementation, curriculum and training manual development, training facilitation, and community outreach.

Prior to joining BSR, Ryan worked at GN ReSound China for seven years, where he focused on public relations, project management, training, and marketing, especially for Hearing the Future, a national hearing care, prevention, and treatment program and public-private partnership among the Chinese Ministry of Health, China Disabled Persons Federation, and GN ReSound.

Ryan holds a Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration from Tongji University. He also holds an Associate degree in Audiology from Fudan University.

HERproject Team

Katrina Zhou

Associate | China

Katrina provides crucial support to BSR projects related to women’s leadership and empowerment.

Her current focus is BSR’s Women in Factories China program, which provides work and life skills training for female factory workers, with the aim of reaching 26,000 women in 45 factories through a three-year grant from the Walmart Foundation.

With a medical and training background, Katrina’s previous experience includes work for multinational companies, such as Siemens Audiology Company, where she focused on health training, event planning, and marketing.

Katrina holds a B.A. in English Translation from Shanghai Jiaotong University and an Associate Degree in Audiology Technology from Fudan University.  She is currently enrolled in courses to receive a National Second-Level Psychology Consultation.