Described by Rolling Stone as "the point man" for drug policy reform efforts and “the real drug czar,” Ethan Nadelmann, JD, PhD is widely regarded as the outstanding proponent of drug policy reform in the United States and abroad. After teaching politics and public affairs at Princeton University (1987-1994), he founded and directed first The Lindesmith Center (1994-2000) and then the Drug Policy Alliance (2000-2017). He also co-founded the Open Society Institute’s International Harm Reduction Development program. Ethan has published extensively and spoken publicly in roughly forty states and forty countries. His TED Talk has over two million views. Ethan and his colleagues were at the forefront of dozens of successful campaigns to legalize marijuana, reduce the incarceration of drug law offenders, advance harm reduction approaches to drug use and addiction, and otherwise promote alternatives to the war on drugs. Ethan hosts the leading podcast about all things drugs: PSYCHOACTIVE, and he has become increasingly engaged in the debate over tobacco harm reduction.

Described by Rolling Stone as "the point man" for drug policy reform efforts and “the real drug czar,” Ethan Nadelmann, JD, PhD is widely regarded as the outstanding proponent of drug policy reform in the United States and abroad. After teaching politics and public affairs at Princeton University (1987-1994), he founded and directed first The Lindesmith Center (1994-2000) and then the Drug Policy Alliance (2000-2017). He also co-founded the Open Society Institute’s International Harm Reduction Development program. Ethan has published extensively and spoken publicly in roughly forty states and forty countries. His TED Talk has over two million views. Ethan and his colleagues were at the forefront of dozens of successful campaigns to legalize marijuana, reduce the incarceration of drug law offenders, advance harm reduction approaches to drug use and addiction, and otherwise promote alternatives to the war on drugs. Ethan hosts the leading podcast about all things drugs: PSYCHOACTIVE, and he has become increasingly engaged in the debate over tobacco harm reduction.

David Sweanor is an adjunct professor, Faculty of Law, and chair of the advisory board of the Centre for Health Law, Policy & Ethics at the University of Ottawa and has been actively involved in tobacco and health policy issues since the beginning of the 1980s. He has worked globally, and with numerous groups, including the International Union Against Cancer, World Health Organization, World Bank and the Pan American Health Organization and played a key role in achieving many global precedents in tobacco policy. He currently focuses much of his tobacco and nicotine related efforts on risk reduction strategies.

Konstantinos Farsalinos, MD, MPH, is a physician and senior researcher specialising in Public Health at the Universities of Patras and West Attica in Greece. He has conducted extensive research on smoking, tobacco harm reduction, and vaping since 2011, publishing over 90 studies and articles. Notably, he authored the first systematic review on the safety and risk profile of e-cigarettes in 2014; his research was influential in shaping the EU’s regulatory framework on vaping. In 2020, he was recognized as a Highly Cited Researcher for his significant impact in global science. During the pandemic, he published studies exploring the relationship between smoking, nicotine, and COVID-19.

Dr. Moira Gilchrist leads the global strategic and scientific communications for Philip Morris International (PMI). From bringing to life PMI’s fast-pace progress as it evolves into a smoke-free business and expands in areas outside the tobacco and nicotine space, to translating the science behind PMI’s smoke-free alternatives into information that policymakers and the public can easily understand, Moira and her team are at the heart of the company’s historic evolution. She regularly engages with public health authorities, media, and decision-makers around the world, demonstrating the benefits of scientifically substantiated, smoke-free products for those adults who would otherwise continue smoking and calling for risk-proportionate regulation that affords these people accurate information about and access to these better alternatives. In short, she plays a vital role in PMI’s transition away from cigarettes and its journey toward a better, smoke-free future.

Prior to her current role, Moira held several positions within PMI, including leading the
Reduced-Risk Products Corporate Affairs team, serving as director of Scientific
Engagement within the R&D function, and working in both product development and
commercialization.
Before joining PMI in 2006, Moira worked in the pharmaceutical sector for more than a
decade. She was a principal consultant within PwC’s and IBM’s pharmaceutical industry
consulting groups and held positions within both industry and nonprofit organizations as
a developer of drug formulations.
Moira holds a degree in Pharmacy and a PhD in Pharmaceutical Sciences, both from the
University of Strathclyde in Glasgow, Scotland.

Riccardo Polosa is the Founder of the Center of Excellence for the acceleration of HArm Reduction (CoEHAR - University of Catania, Italy). Dr Polosa is Full Professor of Internal Medicine for the same University and Director of the Center for Smoking Prevention and Treatment at the University Hospital "Policlinico-V. Emanuele” of Catania. Dr. Polosa and the CoEHAR team of researchers conduct several high-profile clinical and behavioral research in the field of smoking-related diseases. According to a bibliometric analysis, Professor Polosa is considered the most productive scientist in the world in the field of electronic cigarette research.

Kevin McGirr is Clinical Professor in the School of Nursing; has taught in schools of medicine, social work and public health and was a Fulbright Scholar in Pondicherry India, 2013-2014.  He has over forty years experience in providing and managing behavioral health services; holds master’s degrees in public health, psychiatric nursing and ABD in public health. He has been involved in the training and development of harm reduction services and in particular utilizing Harm Reduction Tobacco interventions for persons with serious mental illness.

Charles Hamshaw-Thomas worked with the two founding shareholders of E-Lites, the pioneering brand at the forefront of the UK vaping industry’s explosive early growth (2011-2015). Charlie led E-Lites’ external engagement – in London, Brussels and Washington DC – at the time when governments & regulators were first turning their attention to the nascent ‘new nicotine’ category. He also led E-Lites’ business development initiatives, which culminated in the sale of E-Lites to Japan Tobacco International in 2014. Since 2015, he has undertaken some consultancy roles to, and remained a close and enthusiastic observer of, the new industry. Charlie’s fervent wish is to see the industry truly realise its disruptive potential.

Judy Gibson is currently INNCOs Membership Director having led a Steering Group to establish the organisation in 2016 and acted as its first Secretary General following its registration in Geneva in 2016.

Her diverse career includes: WRAF Aircraft Mechanic, MOD Detective and over 30yrs in Artiste management and Theatrical PR & Marketing. Suffering early iterations of e-cigarettes since 2012, she became an ex-smoker in 2014 with the advent of sub-ohm tanks and became a vociferous supporter of safer nicotine products.

Professor Gerry Stimson is a leading advocate for tobacco harm reduction and an Emeritus Professor at Imperial College London. A public health social scientist, with over 50 years’ experience of research and advocacy, he was one of the founders of drugs harm reduction in the 1990s, helping to develop and evaluate harm reduction in the UK as a response to HIV/AIDS. Gerry has advised the UK Government, WHO, UNAIDS, UNODC, the World Bank and numerous governments around the world on issues relating to drugs, HIV infection and AIDS, and alcohol. He has also published over 220 scientific publications and several books. Currently, Gerry is advisor to Knowledge•Action•Change, and is involved in the FSFW-funded Global Tobacco Harm Reduction Initiative. He is also a co-founder of the Global Forum on Nicotine, which has been delivered by KAC Communications since 2014.

Jessica Harding became involved in tobacco harm reduction when vapes helped her to quit smoking, in 2012. She helped to establish the political party Vapers in Power and later worked as an administrator for the New Nicotine Alliance. Jessica is a Director at Knowledge•Action•Change and its sister company KAC Communications, which runs the Global Forum on Nicotine. She previously worked as an English teacher and lives in the UK.

Nancy Loucas' THR advocacy began in 2015 as one of the founders/co directors of Aotearoa Vapers Community Advocacy (AVCA) in New Zealand, doing battle for the rights of vapers to be able to access what they need to become/remain smoke free. Nancy is also the founder and Executive Coordinator for the Coalition of Asia Pacific Tobacco Harm Reduction Advocates (CAPHRA). CAPHRA supports consumer THR advocacy organisations and activities throughout the Asia Pacific region and beyond, and has developed various programmes for consumers including the Voices4Vape online seminar series, sCOPe consumer livestream, and the recurring stream that runs during the FCTC COP. Nancy also writes and produces the Advocates Voice online newscast and the Advocates Voice Live sessions. CAPHRA, under Nancy’s leadership, also established the collaborative “Right2Vape” testimonial database with CASAA in the USA, and the “Right to Switch” change.org petition, both featuring thousands of consumer testimonials from across the world.

Colin Mendelsohn worked as a medical practitioner, academic and researcher in smoking cessation and tobacco harm reduction for 40 years. He is the Founding Chairman of the Australian Tobacco Harm Reduction Association and was a Conjoint Associate Professor in the School of Public Health and Community Medicine at the University of New South Wales. He was a member of the expert advisory group that develops the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners’ national smoking cessation guidelines. He is actively involved in teaching, writing, and advocating for tobacco harm reduction.

Martin Cawley joined Beatson Cancer Charity as CEO in July 2019.  Martin has been involved in the area of health and social care his entire his career.  He previously held senior positions in a number of Scotland’s charities and spent 3 years as Director of the National Lottery Community Fund in Scotland working with charities and community organisations. Martin has a comprehensive understanding of the wide-ranging challenges facing charitable organisations in Scotland.  Over the years he has been involved in a range of national forums and working groups related to areas of his work.  

David Sweanor is an adjunct professor, Faculty of Law, and chair of the advisory board of the Centre for Health Law, Policy & Ethics at the University of Ottawa and has been actively involved in tobacco and health policy issues since the beginning of the 1980s. He has worked globally, and with numerous groups, including the International Union Against Cancer, World Health Organization, World Bank and the Pan American Health Organization and played a key role in achieving many global precedents in tobacco policy. He currently focuses much of his tobacco and nicotine related efforts on risk reduction strategies.

Helen Redmond is an expert in substance use with over a decade of experience working with drug users and people with mental health problems. Her current focus is on helping smokers from vulnerable groups switch to e-cigarettes. At New York Harm Reduction Educators, Helen facilitates tobacco harm reduction/vaping groups. She is a senior editor at Filter and writes about vaping and creates short Op-Docs. Helen is adjunct faculty at the Silver School of Social Work at New York University.

Peter Beckett is co-founder of Clearing the Air (www.clearingtheair.eu), an information resource that helps users of safer nicotine products become advocates. Clearing the Air launched in February 2024 and covers campaigns across Europe and Latin America in both English and Spanish. In addition to the site, Clearing the Air offers free campaigning and lobbying help to organisations advocating for safer nicotine products. Before that, Peter spent ten years across a variety of political and regulatory roles in the vaping industry, starting as the campaign lead for the then-nascent vaping industry during the revision of the EU Tobacco Products Directive in 2013. He is a partner at EU public affairs firm Three Six One.

CECILIA KINDSTRAND-ISAKSSON, SWEDEN Cecilia Kindstrand is Director of Public Affairs for Swedish Match, a company with tobacco harm reduction at the core of its business. The company divested its cigarette business in 1999 and is now offering products that are recognized as safer alternatives to cigarettes. She is based in Brussels and has worked extensively with the EU regulatory matters, especially the TPD 2014/40 a legislation banning the ‘proof of concept’ of tobacco harm reduction in 26 of the 27 Member States.

Clive Bates has had a diverse career in the public, private and not-for-profit sectors. Starting out with IBM, he then switched career to work in the environment movement. From 1997-2003 he was Director of Action on Smoking and Health (UK), campaigning to reduce the harms caused by tobacco. In 2003 he joined Prime Minister Tony Blair’s Strategy Unit as a civil servant and worked in senior roles in the public sector and for the United Nations in Sudan. He is now Director of The Counterfactual, a consulting and advocacy practice focussed on a pragmatic approach to sustainability and public health.

David Sweanor is an adjunct professor, Faculty of Law, and chair of the advisory board of the Centre for Health Law, Policy & Ethics at the University of Ottawa and has been actively involved in tobacco and health policy issues since the beginning of the 1980s. He has worked globally, and with numerous groups, including the International Union Against Cancer, World Health Organization, World Bank and the Pan American Health Organization and played a key role in achieving many global precedents in tobacco policy. He currently focuses much of his tobacco and nicotine related efforts on risk reduction strategies.

Harry Shapiro is Director of DrugWise – an online drug information service - and Managing Editor of DS Daily - the daily online drug, alcohol and tobacco news service. He has worked in the drugs field for over 40 years, first with the Institute for the Study of Drug Dependence and then from 2000 with DrugScope where he was Director of Communications until the charity folded in 2015. Since 2015, he has been working with Knowledge-Action-Change promoting public health through harm reduction. He is the author and Executive Editor of the Global State of Tobacco Harm Reduction report, contributes a blog to Nicotine Science and Policy and is one of KAC’s media spokespeople.