About us
Our vision is a world where people and planet are at the heart of development. Meet the team, download key documents, and learn more about us here.
Our vision is a world where people and planet are at the heart of development. Meet the team, download key documents, and learn more about us here.
Theodoros Chronopoulos is the Chair of the Recourse board. He is currently Programme Officer for Transforming Development Finance at the Charles Stewart Mott Foundation. Previously, he led the Africa and Russia programmes at EMpower – The Emerging Markets Foundation. From 2006 to 2012, he worked for the Sigrid Rausing Trust, where he developed and directed its Social and Environmental Justice programme. Theodoros has spent most of his career stewarding philanthropic resources to support innovative strategies designed to increase transparency, foster public participation and strengthen accountability mechanisms among private and public institutions. This work has assisted advocates and communities in Asia, Africa, Latin America and Europe to collaboratively develop strategies to strengthen social and economic rights and public participation in decision-making, as well as to protect human rights defenders.
Ryan Brightwell is the Treasurer on the Recourse board. He is Director of Research and Communications for BankTrack and leads its human rights campaign work. He joined BankTrack in 2012, before which worked as a specialist in ethical finance with The Co-operative Bank in the UK. He is also a board member at the Customer Union for Ethical Banking. He has been working at the intersection of private sector banks and sustainability for over 15 years and is a leading advocate for respect for human rights at private sector commercial banks. Ryan joined the Board of Recourse in January 2022.
Joe Athialy is Executive Director of Centre for Financial Accountability, New Delhi. He has previously worked with the Bank Information Center, Amnesty International, Narmada Bachao Andolan, and various other human rights and accountability institutions in leading positions. He is a key organiser on issues of accountability of International and National financial institutions with regard to the impact of their activities on human rights and environment. He joined Recourse’s Board in March 2019.
Director of Earthlife Africa Jhb an environmental justice and anti-nuclear organisation. Makoma is a strong campaigner for a just and fair society. Her commitment to climate justice in South Africa has led civil society to win the first South African climate change legal court case against the government and the reversal of the nuclear deal by the South African and the Russian government. For her efforts she received the WWF Living Awards Honourable Mention in 2017 , the Goldman Environmental Prize for Africa in 2018 and the Nick Steel Environmentalist of the Year 2018 amongst other accolades. Recently appointed to the Presidential Climate Change Coordinating Committee a body tasked in advising the President on process of a just transition to a low carbon development.