The Boards of Free Tibet and Tibet Watch are delighted to announce the appointment of Sam Walton as the new Chief Executive of both organisations, effective March 9, 2020.

Sam Walton

Sam brings a wealth of relevant experience to the role having spent the last ten years building teams of activists and leading successful human rights campaigns that have created real change.

At Quaker Peace and Social Witness Sam led the strategic planning for all of the Quakers’ peace campaigns. This included helping to setting up the Stop the Arms Fair Coalition which brought together disparate groups opposed to the London Arms Fair, thereby doubling the number of people protesting against the world’s largest arms fair. He has spoken at the UN Human Rights Council at the invitation of Yemeni citizens, performed a citizen’s arrest on a Saudi Arabian Major General responsible for the war in Yemen and has broken into BAE Warton in an attempt to disarm Saudi aircraft bound for Yemen.

Leadership and strategic vision are strengths that Sam has displayed throughout his career. He co-founded The Green and Black Cross Legal Team and Netpol: The Network for Police Monitoring. These organisations have respectively monitored policing in hostile protesting environments and developed a list of solicitors able to support and act on behalf of campaigners and victims of poor policing.

Looking forward to his tenure as Chief Executive of Free Tibet and Tibet Watch, Sam said:

”Now, more than ever, the Tibetan people need allies in their struggle for self-determination and human rights. I am determined that Free Tibet continues to build on its track record of standing shoulder to shoulder with Tibetan communities, winning campaigns and getting the victories that make a meaningful difference to the situation in Tibet.”

And welcoming Sam’s appointment, Daniel Russell, Chair of Free Tibet’s Board and trustee of Tibet Watch, said:

“Sam has a proven track record in creating and growing campaigns which will build upon the good work of our outgoing Director Eleanor Byrne-Rosengren and the strong team that we have in place. We believe that Sam’s expertise and leadership in successfully fighting for causes that face a powerful entrenched opposition will serve to strengthen our fight for Tibetans to have the right to determine their own future. Both Boards are excited about the future prospects for our movement.”

Sam Walton, Chief Executive: [email protected] / 0207 324 4607