Skip to Content

Iverna McGowan Named Director of CDT’s Europe Office

The Centre for Democracy & Technology (CDT) is pleased to announce that Iverna McGowan joins the organisation today as Director of the Europe Office. McGowan is recognised as a prominent leader in human rights advocacy in the European Union, and champions placing international human rights standards at the core of technology law and policy.

“We are delighted to bring Iverna on board as CDT looks to expand the scope and scale of its digital rights work in the European Union,” said Alexandra Givens, President & CEO of CDT. “Iverna’s advocacy talent, deep experience, and dedication to equality will help CDT advance human rights and democracy across the European technology policy agenda.”

“CDT has developed an international reputation as a resource for thoughtful analysis on how to protect human rights in a digital world. I am excited to join and grow its Europe team,” said McGowan. “Europe is at a crucial juncture, debating law and policies that could make or break democracy. With its multistakeholder approach, and in-depth expertise built over its decades-long work on technology and society, CDT is well poised to weigh in on these debates and be a powerful guardian of the public interest.”

McGowan comes to CDT from the United Nations Human Rights Office of the High Commissioner (UN Human Rights, OHCHR), where she led efforts to protect online civic space. She also led work on human rights and technology more broadly for OHCHR’s European Regional Office.

“We thank Iverna for her excellent work in support of human rights defenders, the rule of law and equality, and for leading our efforts to place international human rights standards front and central in EU discussions on digital services. We definitely look forward to continue working with her in her new role at CDT to protect democracy and uphold human rights in the digital age,” said Birgit Van Hout, Regional Representative for Europe, UN Human Rights (OHCHR).

Before joining UN Human Rights, McGowan served for seven years as the Executive Director and Advocacy Director for Europe, and international spokesperson on EU affairs, at Amnesty International’s European Institutions Office. Under her leadership, the Office led, won, and was recognised for a number of significant campaigns on human rights.

McGowan also served at the Irish Department of Foreign Affairs and, before embarking on a career in the public sector, led a team at the French IT, web infrastructure and services company Groupe Open. She serves on the EU Board of the National Resource Governance Institute, and holds a B.A. in European Studies from Trinity College Dublin and an LL.M from Maastricht University’s School of European Law.

Able to handle press requests in English and French.

Available to speak on these issues:

  • The Digital Services Act
  • Election Integrity
  • Algorithmic bias/ discrimination
  • Freedom of expression
  • Government surveillance
  • Cybersecurity
  • Digital privacy
  • Competition
  • and others.