John Morrison
John founded IHRB and was Chief Executive Officer between 2009 - 2025.
John advises a number of governments, intergovernmental organisations, and businesses on human rights and wider issues of sustainability, development, and international affairs.
He is the author of ‘The Social License’, which makes the case for a new form of social contract between business and society, and he has been published widely on issues relating to global governance, corporate responsibility, human rights, climate action, refugee protection, and human trafficking.
John's latest book - 'The Just Transition: A Systems-Thinking Approach to Managing Climate Action' - explores the social challenges of net zero transitions, and why taking a systems-thinking approach is necessary to achieve urgent climate action.
John also sits on the UK Foreign Secretary's Human Rights Advisory Group and has been a Harkness Fellow to the USA. He has been named one of the 100 most influential people worldwide on the issue of eliminating modern day slavery.
John directed the Business Leaders Initiative on Human Rights (2003-9), was Head of Public Affairs for The Body Shop International (2000-3), and before this worked in the field of refugee protection (in relation to the former Yugoslavia and on issues of human trafficking).
Many years ago, John graduated in European Archaeology and Prehistory from the University of Sheffield (UK) and has since been trained in and taught international human rights law, refugee law, and business administration.
