John Richardson, Co-Director

John-Richardson300x300For the past fourteen years, Mr. Richardson has been CEO of JMR Portfolio Intelligence, Inc. a corporate governance and human rights consultant based in Washington DC. In addition, he is currently an Adjunct Professor at American University's School of International Service.

He was formerly the Co-Director and President of the Center for Political Accountability, an advocacy group focused on corporate political giving. For Prior to forming JMR Financial Inc. in 1997, he was a Vice President with American Capital Strategies, an investment bank located in Bethesda, Maryland.

From 1993 to 1996, Mr. Richardson administered the pension investment program of the Laborers International Union of North America. He was responsible for overseeing both the corporate governance and the institutional shareholder programs. In addition, he was the union's Assistant Director of Research & Education. From 1990 to 1993, Mr. Richardson was the Special Projects Coordinator with the Southern California District Council of Carpenters and gained further experience as a research analyst and community organizer for the Service Employees International Union in Los Angeles. From 1983 to 1990 Mr. Richardson was President of the Labor Research Group in San Francisco, a consulting firm that helped construction trade unions to investigate public works construction projects, research, and organizing campaigns. He also worked as the Northern California Investigator for the Painting & Drywall Work Preservation Fund, in Oakland, California.

Mr. Richardson received his Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of California at Santa Barbara, his Juris Doctor degree from Golden Gate University, in San Francisco and his LLM degree in International Law at American University, Washington College of Law in Washington DC.

Email: john.richardson @ ihrib.org

Rebecca DeWinter-Schmitt, Co-Director

SIS DeWinter-SchmittRebecca DeWinter-Schmitt is an expert in business and human rights, in particular pertaining to the private military and security industry. She currently co-chairs Amnesty International USA’s (AIUSA) Business and Human Rights Group and chairs the Working Group on Private Military and Security Companies. In various capacities, she has been involved in multi-stakeholder efforts to develop standards for private security providers. Through her joint inter-disciplinary research with the Kogod School of Business, she is undertaking applied research to identify best practices in voluntary self- regulation as applicable to the private security industry.

Dr. DeWinter-Schmitt’s consulting and advocacy work are linked to her academic research interest in civil society efforts to ensure corporate accountability.

Until 2012, Dr. DeWinter Schmitt was an Assistant Professor at American University’s School of International Service’s Peace and Conflict Resolution Program, teaching courses on international affairs, human rights, ethics, economics of violence and peace, and corporate social responsibility. From 1998- 2002, Dr. DeWinter-Schmitt was a staff member of AIUSA, first in its National Field Program and then as Program Associate to the Just Earth! Program on Human Rights and the Environment.

In 2007, Dr. DeWinter-Schmitt received her PhD from American University’s School of International Service for her dissertation, “Business as Usual? The Mobilization of the Anti-sweatshop Movement and the Social Construction of Corporate Identity.” Dr. DeWinter-Schmitt received her master’s degree from the University of Marburg, Germany and her undergraduate degree from Dickinson College, Carlisle, PA.

Email: rebecca.dewinter-schmitt @ ihrib.org