Board of Directors

The Board of Directors is the executive decision-making body of the Association


Government Pillar


Paul Smith

Representing the Government of the United Kingdom

Paul Smith is Head of the Conflict Minerals and Private Security Standards Team in the Human Rights Department of the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office, leading on ICoCA, the VP and the Kimberley Process. His previous roles in the FCDO have included postings to Afghanistan, UAE, Kenya and Nigeria working on a range of issues including rule of law, immigration, and trade and investment

This is the Mr. Smith’s first term on the Board of Directors.


Frédéric Chenais

Representing the Government of Switzerland

Frederic Chenais is Policy Advisor at the Swiss Federal Department of Foreign Affairs where he is in charge of matters related to commodities and human rights, with a special focus on the UNGP, the VP and ICoCA. Previously, Mr. Chenais worked as Principal Advisor on communities relations for the Simandou project at Rio Tinto. He also headed the mission of the International Organisation for Migrations in Guinea, in Turkmenistan and Tajikistan. He holds a Master’s Degree in Ethnology and in Management of International Organisations.

This is Mr. Chenais’ 2nd consecutive term on the Board of Directors.


Susan R. Benda

Representing the Government of the United States of America

Ms. Benda is a Deputy Legal Adviser at the United States Mission to the United Nations and Other International Organisations in Geneva, Switzerland.  Before joining the U.S. Mission, Ms. Benda was an Attorney Adviser at the U.S. Department of State’s Office of the Legal Adviser in Washington, D.C.  for more than 20 years, during which time she provided legal advice to Department officers on a broad range of matters, including private security contractors, and international criminal law, including extradition and human trafficking. Ms. Benda received a J.D. from Georgetown University and a B.A. from McGill University.

This is Ms. Benda’s first term on the Board of Directors.


Vacant seat


Industry Pillar


Dr. Shoujun Cui

Representing Middle East, Asia and Australia

Dr. Shoujun Cui, is a Professor of international relations at School of International Studies, Renmin University of China (RUC), where he also serves as Deputy Dean of School of Global Governance, director of the International Development Institute and director of the Center for Middle East and African Studies. Research topcis that interest him include China’s foreign policy, China’s overseas intertests protection, energy geopolitics and international organization studies.He has conducted research on China’s “ Belt and Road Initiative”, China’s overseas interests protection, energy geopolitics, international organizations and global governance. Dr. Cui has been an International Visitor Leadership Program (IVLP) visiting fellow to the U.S. Department of the State, and visiting fellow of EU Marie Curie International Research Staff Exchange project. In last decade, Dr.Cui has been actively invloved in the research and activities of China’s private security companies.

Mr. Shou Jun was elected to serve a first 3-year term as a Board Director in December 2023.


Frank P Amoyaw

Representing Africa

Mr. Amoyaw is privileged to serve as Chief Executive Officer of Landmark Security (LMS). He has spent nearly fourteen years in Africa and with the private sector, engaged in the mining sector with focus on CSR/CSI, health security, participating in high level dialogue with host governments, multilateral donors, including over ten years working in the private security industry in governance and strategic oversight roles.

He has attained a wealth of experience and expertise in understanding the African context, developing and executing successful strategies, and building resilient relationships with stakeholders across multiple sectors in such a resource-rich but often complex environment.

He holds a master’s degree and leadership certificate in International and European Security from the University of Geneva and Geneva Center for Security Policy (GCSP) respectively; has a deep understanding of security and global public health issues, with an MPH from the University of Ghana, and a continuing study in Defence and International Politics at the Ghana Armed Forces Command and Staff College.

Mr. Amoyaw remains committed to encouraging dialogue and consultations between the public and private sector to further the development of innovative and effective security policies and global initiatives to promote responsible security on the African continent.

Mr. Amoyaw was elected to serve a first 3-year term as a Board Director in December 2022.


Crispin Kennedy

Representing UK & Europe

Crispin Kennedy joined Salama Fikira in 2010 as Operations Manager before becoming a Director and Board Member in 2012. In his current role as Chief Operating Officer he heads the compliance elements of the company. Prior to Salama Fikira, Mr. Kennedy was a chartered surveyor and gained experience managing a range of companies first in the UK (while serving in the Territorial Army as part of the Queen’s Own Yeomanry), and then later in Kenya.

Mr. Kennedy was elected to serve a first 3-year term as a Board Director in December 2022.


Michelle Quinn

Representing the Americas

Michelle Quinn is Vice President, Business Development at Constellis. Michelle recently joined Constellis, a great, mission-focused organisation providing a broad scope of security, operational, Logistics, and training solutions for the Department of Defense, Department of State, Department of Energy and others.  At Constellis, Michelle supports efforts to capture, bid, and execute work on critical USG missions and programs, both CONUS and OCONUS.

Previously, Ms. Quinn has served as Senior V.P. at Patriot Group International; V.P. at VxL Enterprises; V.P. of International Programs at A-T Solutions; Operations Manager for a multi-agency Counter-Terrorism program at the FBI National Lab; and Manager of Operations and Training for DOS’ Worldwide Protective Services Programs at DynCorp International. Ms. Quinn has also worked on Capitol Hill, supporting the House Banking Committee on legislation tied to work and funding of USAID, IMF, World Bank; at the White House Office of Management and Budget (OMB); and at several private family philanthropies.

Ms. Quinn holds the Americas Security Industry Pillar/seat of ICoCA. She also serves on the Board of Eagle Online Academy and Friends of the American University of Afghanistan, supporting the educational needs and dreams of Afghan women and girls. Ms. Quinn is the former the Chairman of the Board of the International Stability Operations Association (ISOA), and currently chairs ISOA’s Women, Peace, and Security Working Group.

Ms. Quinn was elected to serve a first 3-year term as a Board Director in April 2020.


Civil Society Pillar


Vicky Bowman

Representing Civil Society

Vicky Bowman CMG has been the Director of Myanmar Centre for Responsible Business (MCRB) since July 2013, based in Yangon until November 2022, and currently based in London. She is on the International Advisory Council of the Institute of Human Rights and Business (IHRB), and is an Honorary Senior Fellow of the British Institute for International and Comparative Law (BIICL)

From 2011-2013 she led global mining company Rio Tinto’s policy approach to transparency, human rights and resource nationalism/resource curse issues. She was Director of Global & Economic Issues and G8 sous-Sherpa for the United Kingdom from 2008-2011 and Head of the Southern Africa Department in the Foreign and Commonwealth Office of the UK Government from 2006-2007. Ms. Bowman served as ambassador of the UK to Myanmar from 2002-2006 and as second secretary in the Embassy from 1990-1993. She has also worked in Brussels as Member of Cabinet of European Commissioner Chris Patten (1999-2002) and as press spokeswoman for the UK representation to the EU (1996-1999).

Ms. Bowman has an MA in Natural Sciences (Pathology) from University of Cambridge, holds an honorary doctorate from the University of Bradford, and is an Honorary Fellow of Pembroke College.

Ms. Bowman  was elected to serve a first 3-year term as a Board Director in August 2023.


Chinwike Okereke

Representing Civil Society

Okereke Chinwike is a Lawyer by profession and an International Human Rights and Development Law Expert. Mr. Okereke works as the Founder and Chief Executive Officer of the African Law Foundation (AFRILAW), a national Law, Human Rights and Development NGO founded in 2013 with the Global Advocacy Office and Headquarter at Abuja, Nigeria. He is also the Founder and Principal Consultant of the BHRAfrica Advisory Service, an international business and human rights Consulting Firm registered in Nigeria. He was formerly the Global Coordinator of the Network on Business, Conflicts and Human Rights (BCHRNetwork), the Head of Legal Department of Civil Resource Development and Documentation Center (CIRDDOC Nigeria) and the Programme Manager of the Nigeria Coalition of the International Criminal Court (NCICC).

Mr. Okereke is serving as a member of the Technical Committee of the Administration of Criminal Justice Monitoring Committee (ACJMC) of the Federal Ministry of Justice of Nigeria, a Steering Committee member of the African Private Security Governance Observatory of the Geneva Center for Security Sector Governance (DCAF) Switzerland, African Representative and a member of the International Steering Committee of the Zero Tolerance Initiatives (ZTI), the National Focal Point of the West African Drug Policy Network (WADPN) Nigeria Chapter, and the Regional Coordinator of Coalition of Lawyers for Human Rights (COLAHR). He is also a CSO Representative and member of the National Private Security Industry Law Reform Committee (2021) and National Working Committee on Private Security Governance Reform in Nigeria (2024) of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), the private security regulator in Nigeria.

Mr. Okereke holds a Master in Law (LLM) in International Human Rights Law from the Enugu State University of Science and Technology, and a Post-Graduate Diploma in Development Studies from the Institute of Development Studies, University of Nigeria Enugu Campus. He also has an Advanced Certificate on Business and Human Rights from the Center for Human Rights of the University of Pretoria, South Africa. Mr. Okereke is a Certified Management Consultant and a Fellow of the Institute of Management Consultants and International Council of Management Consulting Institutes UK.

Mr. Okereke was elected to serve a first 3-year term as a Board Director at the Annual General Assembly in December 2023.


Carmen Rosa De León

Representing Civil Society

Carmen Rosa De León is a Guatemalan Sociologist. Since 1996 she has been the Executive Director of the Institute of Education for Sustainable Development (IEPADES) and consults for national and international entities on social civil issues including; Security Sector and Justice Reform; Citizen Security; Small Arms Control; Armed Violence and Development; Civil Intelligence; Gangs and Youth Violence, Gender and Security (Gender and Organised Crime; Gender and Private Security). She has more than 30 publications (as author and co-author).

Ms. De León is a participant in the Guatemala Peace negotiations, as a delegate of the Civil Society Assembly. She has been a member of the Board of Directors of BANRURAL (Private Bank) since 1998. Titular member of the Civil Society Security Advisory Council for the Presidency of the Republic since 2004 and coordinator of this from 2009 to July 2011. Member of the Consultative Council of Civil Society of UN-Women (2014-2017). Member of the National Commission for the Reform of Drug Policy in Guatemala (2014-2015).

Previous positions have included: General Director of Bilateral International Relations and Director of Central American Affairs in the Ministry of Foreign Relations of Guatemala; President of the Special Commission for Attention to Refugees, Returnees and Displaced Persons of Guatemala; and in charge of the National Program of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees UNHCR in Guatemala.

Ms. De León is currently part of the Working Group on Voluntary Principles of Human Rights and Private Security in Guatemala, in which the embassies of ICoCA’s Member countries, Private Security Companies, Private Companies, and Human Rights NGO, are part.

With a degree in Sociology and Anthropology from the University Complutense of Madrid; Master in Sociology of Development of Ibero-America and Master in Security Studies and Criminology, Ms. De León is currently pursuing a PhD in Political Sciences and International Relations at the Complutense University of Madrid, Spain.

Ms. De León was elected to serve a first 3-year term as a Board Director at the Annual General Assembly in December 2020.


Caleb Wanga

Representing Civil Society

Caleb Wanga is Coordinator of Usalama Reforms Forum. An advocate of social justice with wide experience in community organising, peace building, conflict management, community safety, access to justice and environmental conservation, he has over 15 years in active engagement in policy and community oriented programmes through different organisations. Mr. Wanga has participated in the establishment of several networks like Usalama Forum and is also the regional coordinator of PeaceNet Kenya Nairobi region. He is a graduate in Diplomacy & International Relations from United States International University-Africa. He is a visiting trainer at the Kenya School of Government Crime and Violence training programme.

Mr. Wanga was elected to serve a second 3-year term as a Board Director in December 2022.