CHRIS FITZSIMONS

The IHL Centre is an independent expert group that provides analysis and training on international humanitarian law to promote the protection of people in conflict zones worldwide.

• I lead on the Centre's strategic communication, media and advocacy portfolio. In 2025 this includes a full rebrand of the Centre, as well as the launch of a number of major reports and initiatives.

The BSB regulates barristers and specialised legal services in England and Wales.

• Managing a communication and public engagement team (two direct reports), deputy to the Director of Communication.
• Designing and implementing communication and public engagement strategies. Managing the press office, building relationships with the media and managing high-level stakeholder events.

The ICRC is a major humanitarian organization headquartered in Switzerland with operations in over 100 countries globally.

• Responsible for overseeing and coordinating all communication and engagement activities, as well as high-level reporting and stakeholder management.
• Working directly with the Chief of Staff and Directorate.

Geneva Call is a leading humanitarian international non-governmental organization.

• Managing digital and traditional communication activities in French and English. High-level event management in the USA and Lebanon.
• Designing and launching a new website and presentation video for the organisation, in both French and English.
• International media relations and media monitoring. Advocacy and institutional relations. Jointly managing two colleagues in the team.

The IOE is the largest network of the private sector in the world and represents the business community at the international level across the United Nations system and in the G20.

• Managing communication campaigns and publications in three languages, supervising the work of two colleagues.
• Deputising for the Head of Digital Communication.
• Managing communication activities during the United Nations Forum on Business and Human Rights and the International Labour Conference.

• Attending multilingual sessions of the ten international human rights treaty monitoring bodies and drafting the official permanent records of these meetings.
• Translating legal and policy documents for the United Nations Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights.

Complex legal translation, drafting and editing.

• Translating, drafting, proofreading and editing texts for a number of major European institutional clients including the Publications Office of the European Union, the European Parliament and the European Commission.

• Translating and editing legal and policy documents from French, German, Spanish, Portuguese and Italian into English.

• I provided communication services to various international organisations and private companies on a freelance basis over a period of several years, during which time I was based in Portugal.
• Among my regular clients were the European Commission, the United Nations and the European Parliament.