Management

Executive Director, Louise Holck, LL.M., MPA

Louise Holck has served as Executive Director of the Danish Institute for Human Rights since October 2020. Before then she was Deputy Executive Director responsible for the national activities of the Danish Institute for Human Rights from 2012. She holds a Master of Law degree from the University of Copenhagen, a second degree in journalism from the Danish School of Journalism, and a master's degree in public administration (MPA) from Copenhagen Business School. She was formerly director of the National Consumer Agency of Denmark (2003-2008), head of communications at the Danish Broadcasting Corporation (2002-2003), and departmental director at the Danish Refugee Council.

Interim National Director, Pernille Boye Koch, LL.M., Ph.D.

Pernille Boye Koch has been acting National Director since the end of December 2023. She has been head of research at the Danish Institute for Human Rights since September 2020. She is a graduate of law from the University of Copenhagen and in 2002 she received a Ph.D. at the same university. Among other things, Pernille has has done research in the European Court of Human Rights, human rights in Danish legislation, good governance, the Danish Public Information Act and democratic control of intelligence services. Pernille has previously been an associate professor of public law at Roskilde University (2014-2020), associate professor of constitutional law at the University of Southern Denmark (2004-2009 and 2011-2014), legal consultant in the administration of the Danish Parliament (2010) and assistant in the Ministry of the Environment (1997-1998).

International Director, Mette Thygesen

Mette Thygesen has been the International Director at the Danish Institute for Human Rights since November 2022. She is an experienced diplomat who has served as ambassador of Denmark in i.a. Ethiopia, Sudan and South Sudan, as permanent representative to the African Union, and has also been special representative to the Sahel and Maghreb countries. From 2019 to 2022, she was Head of Department for Humanitarian Action, Civil Society, and Engagement – leading Denmark’s development assistance in the field of democracy and human rights. Previously, Mette Thygesen has served in the European Commission. Throughout her career, she has had a strong focus on multilateral cooperation in the European Union and the United Nations, including in the areas of peace, stability, and development. Mette Thygesen is M.Sc. and also holds a Canadian MBA.

Interim Head of Research, Rikke Frank Jørgesen, Ph.D.

Rikke Frank Jørgensen has been acting Head of Research since the end of December 2023. Rikke is a Senior Researcher at the Institute and her research expertise within technology and human rights, as well as experience in working with technology's impact on rights in theory and practice for more than 20 years, makes her a frequently used expert in Denmark and internationally. She is, among other things, member of the Data Ethics Council and the government's expert group on tech giants and associated with the University of Copenhagen as an external lecturer.

She was previously employed at the Ministry of IT and Research, where she helped prepare the government's first IT policy statements and action plans in the period 1995-1999. She participated in the UN World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS) in 2003-2005, where together with Meryem Marzouki she coordinated the International Civil Society Caucus on Human Rights. She has been an expert member of the Council of Europe's committee on internet users' rights, and has sat on advisory boards for e.g. Privacy International, Ranking Digital Rights and DataEthics.EU.

Head of Communication and Engagement, Jakob Sheikh

Jakob Sheikh has been Head of Communication and Engagement since November 2022. He holds a degree in journalism from Danish School of Media and Journalism and American University of Beirut. Jakob Sheikh worked as a journalist and editor at Danish daily Politiken from 2012-2017 and has written extensively on radicalisation, extremism, and international security. From 2017-2019, he was appointed as special advisor to the minister of justice. Sheikh has written several books on international security, including human rights issues, and has written several scientific articles on the field and has lectured at a number of universities in Europe.

Head of Finance and Administration, Ann Lisbeth Ingerslev, MSc

Ann Lisbeth graduated MSc from Copenhagen Business School and has also graduated in selected individual disciplines at the master's program at the IT University and KVL and furthermore taught at CBS. She has previously worked as Head of Department and at the Quality and Supervision Agency of the Ministry of Education (2005-2013), as Senior Consultant in Corporate Social Responsibility and digitization of accounting reports in Economy and Business Affairs (2002-2004), and as Project Manager at Agency for Governmental Management/Finance responsible for development of financial reforms and financial concepts in the state (1999-2002) as well as a number of years as auditor at Ernst & Young.

Head of Human Resource, Anne Bunimowicz, LL.M.

Anne has a masters degree in law from the University of Copenhagen and has a master's degree in international law from Utrecht University. Anne joined the Institute in June 2021. She has extensive experience in HR, organisational development, international project management and strategic management in complex organizations. Among other things, Anne has been Head of the Department of Prisons and Probation with responsibility for recruitment, education and competence development in both Denmark and Greenland. In addition, she has worked with strategy and management development at the Danish Royal Theatre.