Management Team

Organizational Structure

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WADA Management Team

Olivier Niggli

Director General

Olivier Niggli

Director General

Effective July 2016, Olivier Niggli assumed the role of Director General.

Olivier possesses extensive international experience in the anti-doping industry; particularly, in the areas of legal, finance and governance. He started his legal career with Carrard & Associés in Lausanne (Switzerland), where WADA was his client.

In 2002, Oliver first joined WADA as the Agency’s Legal Director to which he added the title of Finance Director in 2004. In 2011, Olivier returned to Carrard & Associés as partner, where his practice focused on sport, arbitration and commercial law. In 2014, Olivier returned to WADA as Chief Operating Officer and General Counsel of WADA.

Olivier holds a Master of Laws from the London School of Economics (England) and a Master of Business Administration from McGill University, in Montreal (Canada).
Aisha Ayinde

Director, Human Resources

Aisha Ayinde

Director, Human Resources

Effective July 2024, Aisha Ayinde joined WADA as Director, Human Resources.

With over 20 years of multi-disciplinary human resources experience, Aisha brings a wealth of knowledge developing and deploying robust programs and processes related to workforce planning, new employee integration, learning and development, performance management, employee engagement, recognition, career development and succession planning.

Most recently, Aisha held the position of Director, Organizational Effectiveness & Culture at Canadian National Railway (CN). Prior to that she held senior-level and consultancy roles in HR with CGI (IT), Abbott Laboratories and Pfizer Canada.

Aisha holds a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology from Concordia University in Montreal and a Master of Industrial Relations (Human Resources Management) from Queen’s University in Kingston, Ontario. In addition, she is a Certified Human Resources Professional (CRHA) and Member of L’Ordre des Conseillers en ressources humaines agréés (Quebec).
René Bouchard

Senior Advisor, Government Relations

René Bouchard

Senior Advisor, Government Relations

Effective September 2024, René Bouchard assumed the role of Senior Advisor, Government Relations.

René joined WADA in 2016 as Advisor, Government Relations, and most recently served as Senior Director, Stakeholder Engagement and Partnerships.

Before 2016, René engaged with WADA in external roles. He was Canada’s representative on the Agency’s Executive Committee and Foundation Board; and delegate of the Canadian Minister of Sport. René was also Chair of WADA’s Education Committee; WADA’s Independent Observer Mission for the London 2012 Olympic Games; and, the founding Chair of the Agency’s Compliance Review Committee (CRC).

Prior to joining the Agency, René held various roles with the Canadian Government, including Director General of International Affairs with the Department of Canadian Heritage, which oversees Canadian Culture and Sports. He was Director General of Copyright Policy and Legislation, and later, Director General of Broadcasting Policy and Legislation. He began his career with the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC).

René has a bachelor’s degree in economic sciences from the University of Sherbrooke (Canada) and a Master’s in Business Administration from the University of Ottawa (Canada).
Dao Chung

Chief Financial Officer

Dao Chung

Chief Financial Officer

Effective July 2018, Dao Chung joined WADA as Chief Financial Officer (CFO).

Dao has over 25 years of experience in management, business, and financial operations. Prior to joining WADA, she was Controller of Operations for FPInnovations – a non-profit research organization in the forestry industry; and, prior to that, she held the position of Director, Business Planning and Analysis at SAP Canada.

Throughout her career, Dao has held various roles in management and financial operations including financial analysis; investment opportunities, budget and forecast planning; internal control; business process; and policies review and implementation in different industries.

Dao is a Certified Management Accountant (CPA, CMA) and has a bachelor’s degree in business administration, finance and marketing from the Hautes Études Commerciales, in Montreal (Canada).
Sébastien Gillot

Director, European Office and Sport Movement Relations

Sébastien Gillot

Director, European Office and Sport Movement Relations

Effective August 2018, Sébastien Gillot joined WADA as Director, European Office and Sport Movement Relations (previously International Federation Relations).

Prior to joining WADA, Sébastien was Head of Communications for the Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI). Before the UCI, he held numerous communications and stakeholder engagement roles in the sports industry; most notably, as Director of Public Relations and Communications for the International Boxing Association (AIBA); Manager of Communications for the Annecy 2018 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games Bid Committee; Editor-in-Chief at the Global Sports Forum Barcelona (2011) with Havas Sports & Entertainment; Lead Editor of FIFA.com with the Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA); and Communications Coordinator for the Paris Saint-Germain Football Club.

Sébastien holds a bachelor’s degree in accounting from the ICS Bégué (France) and a master’s in communications and journalism from the Institut Supérieur des Médias de Paris (France).
Kevin Haynes

Director, Compliance, Rules and Standards

Kevin Haynes

Director, Compliance, Rules and Standards

Effective January 2023, Kevin Haynes assumed the role of Director, Compliance, Rules and Standards.

Kevin joined WADA in 2015 as Senior Manager, Standards and Harmonization. He was subsequently named Deputy Director, Standards and Harmonization, where he was involved in developing the Agency’s compliance monitoring program; and, in August 2021, he was named Associate Director, Compliance, Rules and Standards.

Prior to joining WADA, Kevin worked with the UK National Anti-Doping Organization from where he held a number of roles before becoming the Head of Testing. In 2010, Kevin joined the London Organizing Committee of the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games (LOCOG) as Deputy Manager of the Anti-Doping team; and, delivered the then largest anti-doping program for the 2012 Games. He also worked as Anti-Doping Manager for the English Football Association; and, was a member of WADA’s Outreach team for the 2006 Paralympic Games in Turin and the Agency’s Independent Observer team for the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio.

A keen sportsman in football and tennis, Kevin graduated from Loughborough University (England) with a Bachelor of Science Joint honors degree in sports science, physical education and geography.
Karine Henrie

Head of Athlete Engagement

Karine Henrie

Head of Athlete Engagement

Effective November 2023, Karine Henrie assumed the role of Head of Athlete Engagement. In this capacity, Karine will lead the Agency’s Athlete Engagement strategy, with particular emphasis on the development of athlete-focused programs and resources to support clear and constructive anti-doping experiences for all athletes.

Karine joined WADA in 2017 as Manager of Standards and Harmonization (S&H), before becoming Senior Manager, S&H in 2020. In 2021, she was named Deputy Director, Testing, a role that included overseeing some Testing department staff, leading the department’s compliance activities, and contributing to the ongoing improvement of the International Standard for Testing and Investigations as well as its related Guidelines, among other responsibilities.

Prior to joining WADA, Karine was Senior Manager, True Sport at the Canadian Centre for Ethics in Sport (CCES) where she provided oversight for a team responsible to develop and deliver several ethical sport initiatives, including anti-doping education and athlete services to the Canadian sport community. She held various management positions with the CCES between 2003-2016, operating in all anti-doping program areas and working collaboratively and constructively with a variety of stakeholders. Whether she was working on the implementation of fair and consistent processes for athletes around results management, the development and implementation of the CCES’s blood program, the management of testing programs for several International Federations or the improvement of anti-doping programs for other National Anti-Doping Organizations, Karine’s goal has always been to ensure a doping-free and a level playing field for all athletes.

Karine holds an honors bachelor’s degree of science in Human Kinetics and a master’s degree in Human Kinetics (with a specialization in sports studies and sociology) from the University of Ottawa, Canada.

Karine is not only passionate about sport integrity; she is also an avid athlete – she spends her free time running, cycling, swimming, playing hockey and walking her dog Charlot.
Amanda Hudson

Director, Education

Amanda Hudson

Director, Education

Effective August 2019, Amanda Hudson joined WADA as Director, Education.

Prior to joining WADA, Amanda was Head of Education at United Kingdom Anti-Doping (UKAD), where she led their education strategy, making clean athletes her top priority and supporting UKAD’s aim to protect clean sport. She also represented the UK on the Advisory Group on Education that supports the Council of Europe’s Monitoring Group of the Anti-Doping Convention; and, was a member of WADA’s Education Committee.

Amanda’s focus has always been to harness the power of education. Starting her professional career as a teacher in the post-compulsory education sector, she then transitioned to her other passion – sport. She has delivered national strategies that impact culture and create sustainable change by unifying stakeholders in a common direction in a range of fields; sports coaching, workforce development and training and over the last decade, anti-doping.

After studying sports science and physiology at the undergraduate level, Amanda completed a postgraduate certificate in education at the University of Huddersfield (England), qualifying as a teacher in the post-compulsory education sector.
Angela Iannantuono

Director, Corporate Services and Sustainability

Angela Iannantuono

Director, Corporate Services and Sustainability

Effective July 2024, Angela Iannantuono assumed the role of Director, Corporate Services and Sustainability.

Angela first joined WADA in 2002 as Manager, Human Resources and Corporate Services; and has since served in progressively more senior roles, most recently as Director, Human Resources and Corporate Services.

Angela has over 30 years of experience in human resources and corporate services and has held various human resources roles at Emerson Power Systems, Andersen Consulting (now Accenture), and Ready Bake Foods/La Baguetterie (division of George Weston Limited).

Angela has a profound love for sport and played rugby for Bishop’s University, in Lennoxville (Canada), while she studied psychology. Angela also trained and competed as a bodybuilder and has a passion for kickboxing and languages.
Stuart Kemp

Chief Operating Officer

Stuart Kemp

Chief Operating Officer

Effective 1 January 2023, Stuart Kemp assumed the role of Chief Operating Officer. In this capacity, Stuart oversees WADA’s Expertise and Support Departments and assists the Director General in leading the overall strategy and administration of the Agency and overseeing the day-to-day operations.

Stuart joined WADA in 2006 as Testing Manager and has held a number of different roles since that time, including: Deputy Director, Standards and Harmonization; Principal, ADAMS Advancement; and, his most recent role as Deputy Chief Operating Officer.

Prior to joining WADA, Stuart was Senior Manager of Testing at the Canadian Centre for Ethics in Sport (CCES).

Stuart holds a combined honors Bachelor’s degree of arts in Political Science and International Development Studies from Dalhousie University, in Halifax (Canada), a Master of Arts in Human Kinetics from the University of Ottawa (Canada) and has completed Executive Development programs from McGill University, in Montreal (Canada).

Sport has been at the core of Stuart’s family and professional life. Stuart swam competitively at the National level captaining his university teams.
Florence Lefebvre-Rangeon

Deputy Chief Operating Officer

Florence Lefebvre-Rangeon

Deputy Chief Operating Officer

Effective 1 January 2023, Florence Lefebvre-Rangeon assumed the role of Deputy Chief Operating Officer. In this capacity, Florence oversees the coordination, measurement, and communication of the Agency’s impact internally and externally.

Florence joined WADA in 2015 as Manager for NADO and Government Relations in the European office in Lausanne, Switzerland. She moved to Montreal in 2021 to take on the role of Deputy Director, Stakeholder Engagement & Partnerships.

Prior to joining WADA, Florence worked at the European Parliament for seven years and at the European Olympic Committees’ office in Brussels, Belgium.

Florence holds a Master’s degree in Law and Political Science and a PhD in Public Law. She has specialized in European law and sports law.

Florence is passionate about sport. She has played football at a competitive level in six different countries and continues to be an active athlete.
Francisco León

Director, Latin America and Caribbean Office

Francisco León

Director, Latin America and Caribbean Office

Effective 11 March 2024, Francisco León assumed the role of Director, Latin America and Caribbean Office.

Francisco joined WADA in 2016 as Manager, NADO/RADO Relations and became Senior Manager within the same department in 2019. In July 2021, Francisco was named Head of Program Development where his objective was to assess the health of Anti-Doping Organization’s programs and to coordinate activities to address the gaps in collaboration with WADA’s functional areas and Regional Offices.

Prior to joining WADA, Francisco was Director of Sport Development and Recreation at the Peruvian Sport Ministry (IPD) from 2014 to 2016, where he was also Vice President of the National Anti-Doping Organization. During this period, Francisco also taught Sports Management courses at the Peruvian University of Applied Sciences.

Prior to joining the IPD, from 2012 to 2014 he was Lead Sports and Curriculum Adviser for the Peruvian Ministry of Education. Francisco has an undergraduate in psychology from the University of the Incarnate Word, in San Antonio (USA), where he graduated Cum Laude and was National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) All-American.

He then completed a master’s degree at the same university in Sports Science and Kinesiology; and, a PhD in International Entrepreneurship, where he wrote a dissertation on the factors that affect World Anti-Doping Code compliance.

Francisco is a lifelong athlete and pole vaulter—an event in which he holds the Peruvian national record.
Catherine MacLean

Director, Communications

Catherine MacLean

Director, Communications

Effective December 2014, Catherine MacLean joined WADA as Director, Communications.

Prior to joining WADA, Catherine had spent 25 years in the metals and mining industry, first with the former Alcan, a global leader in aluminum and packaging, and then with Rio Tinto, an international metals and mining company. Catherine later operated her own communications consultancy serving a variety of clients including the former London Mining in support of its iron ore operations in Sierra Leone.

Catherine has an undergraduate degree in psychology from Concordia University and a certificate in Corporate Social Responsibility from McGill University, both in Montreal (Canada).

A competitive swimmer in her youth, Catherine is happy to be with an organization that is committed to fair play in sports.
Marc-André Matton

Chief Technology Officer

Marc-André Matton

Chief Technology Officer

Effective February 2020, Marc-André Matton joined WADA as Chief Technology Officer.

Marc-André has over 18 years of experience in information technology (IT) operations, with an emphasis on large-scale project delivery, organizational development and product delivery. Prior to joining WADA, he held various management positions with major business consulting, media, telecommunications, and software development organizations, where he oversaw, among other things: digital transformation, strategy, security, data, architecture and maintenance of complex enterprise application solutions supporting major operations and online platforms.

Marc-André holds a degree in computer science from Université du Québec, in Hull (Canada). He is an avid mountain and road cyclist, runner and hiker.
Tom May

Director, Engagement & Development

Tom May

Director, Engagement & Development

Effective September 2024, Tom May assumed the role of Director, Engagement and Development.

Tom has over 20 years of experience across all areas of anti-doping. He first joined WADA in 2004 as Manager, Doping Control Policy and Development; and has since served in progressively more senior roles, most recently as Director, NADO/RADO Relations.

Prior to joining WADA, Tom spent five years at the Canadian Centre for Ethics in Sport (CCES), where he served in various roles related to national and international activities.

Tom holds a bachelor’s degree in business administration from the University of New Brunswick (Canada) and a graduate diploma in sports administration from Concordia University in Montreal (Canada).
Chaya Ndiaye

Head of Digital Insights

Chaya Ndiaye

Head of Digital Insights

Effective September 2024, Chaya Ndiaye assumed the role of Head of Digital Insights.

Chaya first joined WADA in 2005 as Manager, ADAMS, and has since served in progressively more senior roles, most recently as Head of Product.

Steering the product management at WADA, Chaya’s focus is on fostering stakeholder relationships and driving goal-oriented product strategies. She is committed to building trust and ensuring transparency in the development of WADA’s digital ecosystem and data strategy. Her tenure as Head of Product and previous leadership in product management at WADA demonstrate her dedication to enhancing sport’s integrity through innovative technology solutions.

Chaya holds a Master’s in Management of Information Systems from McGill University.
Rafal Piechota

Director, Office of the President

Rafal Piechota

Director, Office of the President

Effective January 2020, Rafal Piechota joined WADA as Director of the Office of the President, in Warsaw (Poland).

Prior to assuming his role at WADA, Rafal was Deputy Director in the office of the Minister of Sports and Tourism of the Republic of Poland – a Ministry with which he held various key roles (2007-2019).

Rafal has been very involved with WADA and anti-doping for a number of years, including as Deputy Member of the WADA Executive Committee, and as Member of the Agency’s Finance and Administration Committee. He also acted as Vice Chair, and then Chair, of the Ad Hoc European Committee for the World Anti-Doping Agency (CAHAMA).

Rafal has a master’s degree in Law from Nicolaus Copernicus University, in Torun (Poland).
Olivier Rabin

Senior Director, Science and Medicine

Olivier Rabin

Senior Director, Science and Medicine

Effective July 2021, Prof. Olivier Rabin assumed the role of Senior Director, Science and Medicine. In this capacity, Prof. Rabin oversees the List of Prohibited Substances and Methods (Prohibited List), the Athlete Biological Passport (ABP), the areas of scientific research, medical, and anti-doping laboratories, while also establishing international partnerships in the fields of science and medicine.

Olivier joined WADA as Science Director in 2002 and was later named Executive Director, Science and International Partnerships.

Over the years, Olivier has established an international reputation as an expert in pharmaceutical research and development. Prior to joining WADA, he worked for over seven years for IPSEN Pharma, in the United Kingdom and in France, in the fields of research and business development. In this capacity, he was responsible for international development of new medicines and led scientific and medical teams for in-depth assessment of various international projects in the pharmaceutical sector.

Prior to his work at IPSEN, Olivier was a principal investigator of research in pharmacology and toxicology for government organizations, including having spent four years at the National Institutes of Health in the United States, where he was responsible for a cerebral ischemia program and development of pharmacological strategies for brain neuroprotection. He also worked at the Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale in Paris (France).

Over the course of his career, Olivier has been instrumental in establishing partnerships with high profile public or private organizations.

Olivier has a PhD in fundamental and applied toxicology and a degree in biomedical engineering. He is the author of numerous scientific publications and books in anti-doping and emerging drugs in sports. He was appointed Distinguished Visiting Professor at the University of Trento (Italy) in April 2023.
Tim Ricketts

Director, Testing

Tim Ricketts

Director, Testing

Effective June 2014, Tim Ricketts assumed the role of Director, Testing (previously Standards and Hamonization). The Testing Department is focused on development of global sample collection programs; as well as, ensuring that Anti-Doping Organizations implement their programs in accordance with the World Anti-Doping Code and International Standard for Testing and Investigations.

Tim first joined WADA in 2013 as Deputy Director, Standards and Hamonization; and, has been involved in development of the Agency’s compliance monitoring program and establishment of the compliance audit program.

Prior to joining WADA, Tim was the first Anti-Doping Manager for the International Federation of Rugby Union based in Dublin (Ireland). He began his career in anti-doping as a chaperone for the Australian National Anti-Doping Organization (NADO); and, later became a Doping Control Officer and a Testing Coordinator employee with the Australian NADO. Tim was seconded to the Organizing Committee for the 1996 Paralympic Games in Atlanta where he was the Anti-Doping Manager. Following the Atlanta Games, he joined the Organizing Committee for the 2000 Olympic and Paralympic Games in Sydney as an Anti-Doping Manager.

Over the years, Tim has been a member of WADA’s Independent Observer (IO) teams for the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing, the 2010 Tour de France, the 2014 Olympic Games in Sochi, the 2014 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow and the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio.

Tim has an undergraduate degree in sports science and sports administration from the University of Canberra (Australia).
Julien Sieveking

Director, Legal Affairs

Julien Sieveking

Director, Legal Affairs

Effective July 2016, Julien Sieveking assumed the role of Director of Legal Affairs.

Julien joined WADA in 2005 as Manager of Legal Affairs and subsequently was promoted to Senior Manager, and later to Chief Legal Manager. Prior to joining WADA, Julien was Disciplinary Counsel for the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA). He also held roles in major sports or sports-related events.

Multilingual with a law degree from the University of Lausanne (Switzerland), Julien specializes in sports law; and, more specifically, in sports litigation. He also holds a master’s degree in sports organizations management from the University Claude Bernard, in Lyon (France) and completed an executive program at McGill University, in Montreal (Canada). Julien also lectures for several sports law master’s programs worldwide.
Rodney Swigelaar

Director, Africa Office

Rodney Swigelaar

Director, Africa Office

Effective November 2004, Rodney Swigelaar joined WADA as Director, Africa Office, in Cape Town (South Africa).

Before joining WADA and following South Africa’s second democratic general elections in 1999, Rodney joined Sport and Recreation South Africa (a government department) and the Ministry of Sport and Recreation as Manager for Parliamentary Relations. During this time, Rodney represented South Africa at numerous WADA Foundation Board and Executive Committee Meetings. He was also the coordinator of the International Intergovernmental Consultative Group on Anti-Doping in Sport (IICGADS) IV Meeting hosted by South Africa, served on the Secretariat of IICGADS, and occupied various coordinating roles in sport on behalf of the South African Government, including the Africa Cup of Nations staged in Mali (2002).

Rodney holds an honors degree in linguistics from the University of the Western Cape (South Africa), where he has also lectured. In 1996, he was appointed as a researcher for the Portfolio Committee on Sport and Recreation in the National Parliament of the Republic of South Africa.
Alan Vernec

Chief Medical Officer

Alan Vernec

Chief Medical Officer

Effective October 2009, Dr. Alan Vernec joined WADA as Medical Director.

Alan has extensive experience working with athletes of all levels for more than 30 years. He served as team physician for professional and national sports teams, including professional soccer (Major League Soccer), the national teams for athletics (Athletics Canada) and judo (Judo Canada) and was team physician at many international sports events, including three Olympic Games.

Alan is a graduate of the University of California, in San Diego (USA) with a degree in bioengineering as well as from McGill University, in Montreal (Canada) with a degree in medicine. He is passionate about sport and strongly believes that it is instrumental to educate athletes, physicians and other stakeholders on anti-doping principles and processes, so that all athletes, including those with medical conditions, may engage in fair competition.
Ross Wenzel

General Counsel

Ross Wenzel

General Counsel

Effective January 2022, Ross Wenzel joined WADA as General Counsel.

Immediately prior to joining WADA, Ross was a partner at the Swiss law firm Kellerhals Carrard, where he acted as WADA's external counsel for over a decade. During his time with the firm (2010-2021), he handled hundreds of doping-related cases before the Court of Arbitration for Sport for WADA and other international sports organizations; and, is widely recognized as one of the world's leading anti-doping lawyers.

From 2004-2007, Ross practiced as a corporate lawyer at Slaughter and May in London (England); and, from 2008-2010, he worked as in-house counsel with Infront Sports & Media, a leading international sports marketing agency based in Switzerland.

Ross obtained a Congratulatory First in Modern Languages at Oxford University (England) before studying law at BPP Law School in London, where he graduated with distinction. He also graduated with distinction with the FIFA Master (an international master’s in management, law and humanities of sport).
Shannan Withers

Chief of Staff

Shannan Withers

Chief of Staff

Effective 1 July 2021, Shannan Withers assumed the role of Chief of Staff with ongoing oversight of the Agency’s Strategic Management Office and Governance function; and, on 1 January 2023, she also took on oversight of WADA’s transformation activities. In this latter capacity, Shannan will lead the organizational transformation necessary to support the delivery of the Agency’s strategic objectives and activities by establishing and coordinating the business priorities to be carried out by the supporting teams (IT, HR, Finance, Internal Comms etc.).

Shannan joined WADA in February 2001 and is the Agency’s longest standing staff member. During her time with WADA, she has served various functions within the Office of the Director General, operating under, and providing support and advice to all Presidents and Director Generals of the Agency. She has led several key strategic projects over the years, including more recently, the first governance review and reforms process in 2017-2018 and implementation thereof; development of the 2020-2024 Strategic Plan; and, the internal organizational assessment in 2020.

Prior to joining WADA, Shannan was Anti-Doping Program Coordinator for the three-year lead up to, and during, the 2000 Olympic and Paralympic Games in Sydney (Australia). Following the close of the Games, she was recruited to join WADA in Lausanne (Switzerland) before relocating to Montreal (Canada).

Shannan holds an undergraduate degree in management from the University of Canberra (Australia). She played representative basketball as a junior and spent a number of years pounding the pavement as a marathon runner.

She appreciates the importance of keeping fit and healthy and aims to build in sport and activity into hers and her family’s daily lives.
Mayumi YaYa Yamamoto

Director, Asia/Oceania Office

Mayumi YaYa Yamamoto

Director, Asia/Oceania Office

Effective March 2024, Dr. Mayumi YaYa Yamamoto assumed the role of Director, Asia/Oceania Office. In this capacity, Dr. Yamamoto plays a key stakeholder engagement role for WADA in the region, liaising with Public Authorities and regional sports organizations; supporting regional stakeholders in developing their anti-doping programs and reaching and maintaining compliance with the World Anti-Doping Code; supporting capacity building; assisting with the implementation of education programs; and facilitating the collection of WADA’s financial contributions within the region.   

While Dr. Yamamoto first started the anti-doping chapter of her career with WADA’s Standards and Harmonization team in 2009, she went on to spend more than a decade leading Education and the ‘PLAY TRUE 2020, Sport for Tomorrow’ project for the Japan Anti-Doping Agency (JADA). In this role, YaYa worked collaboratively with governments, anti-doping agencies, and sports organizations of the Asia/Oceania region; and, with a range of stakeholders from the global anti-doping community to advance clean sport. Over the years, YaYa has voluntarily contributed to countless national and international committees and groups focused on raising the game for athletes worldwide, including serving on WADA’s Education Committee since 2014.

In 2009, Dr. Yamamoto was awarded a Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) for Sport Policy and Management from the Institute of Sport & Leisure Policy at Loughborough University in the United Kingdom (UK) after having earned a Bachelor’s Degree in International Relations and a Master of Arts (MA) in Sociology of Sport. YaYa used to be a competitive basketball player and now enjoys recreational sports with her family and friends.
Günter Younger

Director, Intelligence and Investigations

Günter Younger

Director, Intelligence and Investigations

Effective October 2016, Günter Younger joined WADA as Director of Intelligence and Investigations.

Prior to joining WADA, Günter was Head of the Cybercrime Division at the Bavarian Landeskriminalamt (BLKA), in Germany, which he created as the central point of contact for police, State departments and private companies in all cybercrime matters of Bavaria. During this period, in 2015, he was seconded to WADA’s three-person Independent Commission that investigated and exposed widespread doping in Russian athletics.

After graduating from Police Training School in Dachau and Kӧnigsbrunn in 1988, Günter joined the BLKA as an investigator. Over the years, Günter held numerous increasingly senior positions with a particular focus on international investigations; specifically, combating drug trafficking and organized crime.

From 2007 to 2008, Günter served as Deputy Head of the Organized Crime Division of the BLKA; and, in 2006, he was deployed to Europol as an Analyst for Serious Organized Crime. In 2008, Günter was seconded to Interpol´s drug unit, in Lyon (France) where he was swiftly promoted to Team Leader/Coordinator. By the following year, he had assumed responsibility for the organization’s Drugs and Criminal Intelligence Unit (DCIU) and the newly created Anti-Doping section. Upon completion of his term at Interpol, in 2011, he returned to Germany to lead Bavaria’s Counterfeit Currency Unit at the BLKA.

Günter completed postgraduate studies at the Police College of Public Administration in Fürstenfeldbruck (Germany) and at the National Police Staff College in Münster (Germany).