Minjon Tholen

Minjon Tholen, Human Rights Watch’s inaugural Global Head of Diversity, Equity & Inclusion, has 15 years’ experience in transforming organizations and creating inclusive, diverse, and values-led cultures. At Human Rights Watch, she is responsible for integrating DEI values into the organizational culture both internally and externally, including on partnership work in the human rights community and beyond.

Prior to joining HRW, Minjon was Chief Inclusion & Strategic Innovation Officer at Amnesty International USA. She also worked at Cook Ross Inc., a leading consulting company which specializes in organizational change and DEI management, where she worked with leaders of global organizations – including Fortune 500 companies, public institutions, and non-profits – to successfully advance their DEI strategies.

In addition to her DEI work, Minjon serves on the Board of Directors of the Southern Poverty Law Center, the US-based social and civil rights organization, and helped to co-found IDEAS Generation, which seeks to identify the next generation of DEI leaders.

Minjon was born in Sri Lanka, grew up in the Netherlands, and is now based in Washington D.C. She is fluent in English and Dutch. Minjon’s pronouns are she/her.