Head of Advocacy and Special Projects
Valerie Peay is a human rights advocate and media strategist with over three decades of international leadership experience spanning media, digital transformation, and global advocacy. She is the Founder and Director of the International Observatory of Human Rights (IOHR), launched in London in 2017 to expand public awareness of human rights through documentary storytelling, digital campaigns, and high-level policy engagement.
Under her leadership, IOHR built collaborative partnerships with the United Nations, the European Union, national governments, universities, and leading civil society organizations. She worked extensively with families of detained journalists and Canadian dual nationals unjustly imprisoned in Iran, advocated for stronger protections for Syrian refugees in the UK, and travelled to Iraq to support displaced families. Her work, alongside IOHR’s research team, highlighted the persecution of the Uyghur community in China and the Rohingya community in Myanmar.
Prior to concluding its operations during the later stages of the COVID-19 pandemic, IOHR developed targeted programmes, led digital advocacy campaigns, and organized numerous public vigils to defend press freedom and protect jailed journalists worldwide. Peay also worked closely with certified practitioners in the UK to advance prevention and counter-radicalization initiatives before criminality occurs. Her safeguarding efforts to protect vulnerable youth align with Canada’s Prevention of Radicalization to Violence (P/CVE) framework.
Building on this experience, Peay led the launch of the first dedicated human rights online TV channel— recognized by Reuters—producing hundreds of segments documenting abuses, amplifying silenced voices, and deploying reporters to cover proceedings at the United Nations and other international bodies.
A frequent international speaker and interviewer, Peay champions rules-based policy reform and cross-sector cooperation to strengthen democratic values. Her commitment to defending journalists and countering extremism brings strategic insight shaped by hands-on advocacy and international coalition-building.
Prior to founding IOHR, Peay held senior executive roles at BT Group, directing large-scale digital transformation programmes at Board level, and spent five years in Asia with STAR TV (News Corporation), leading multicounty media and technology initiatives. She previously served as Trustee Director of the Royal Caledonian Educational Trust, supporting emotional literacy education for children of Armed Forces families.
Peay combines global advocacy expertise with strategic leadership, digital innovation, and stakeholder engagement—strengthening the Foundation’s mission to defend press freedom and advance human rights worldwide.
