Before being unanimously appointed as Director General of the International Testing Agency (ITA) by the Board of ITA in February 2018, Benjamin Cohen held the position of Director of the European Office & International Federation Relations at the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA). Prior to joining WADA, Benjamin held various roles in the International Basketball Federation (FIBA) as the Head of Governance and Legal Affairs, in the United Nations Office of Sport for Development and Peace in New York, the Council of Europe and within the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA). He teaches Sports Governance, Dispute Resolution and Anti-Doping at several universities worldwide and is regularly appointed as a guest speaker and legal and governance expert in task forces and commissions at the United Nations, the European Commission, the Council of Europe, the IOC and International Federations.

Sophie is a Major Event Specialist at the ITA, where she leads anti-doping planning, strategy, partnerships with stakeholders and Games-time readiness. She has held operational leadership roles across multiple Olympic and international events, bringing expertise in translating anti-doping protocols into real world delivery.

As the Senior Major Events Manager at the ITA, Vanessa has over 20 years of anti-doping experience and is a key architect of anti-doping operations for major sporting events. Drawing on her knowledge of project management and logistics, she leads on the end-to-end design of anti-doping programs, from initial planning through to on-the-ground implementation.

As an experienced International Doping Control Officer (IDCO), Wendy has led field operations at numerous Olympic and international events. As part of the ITA’s IDCO Training Team and a long-time DCO trainer, she offers firsthand insight into delivering on-the-ground sample collection under intense and real-time pressure.

Louisa is ABP Manager at the ITA since 2022 and has been involved in the fight against doping since 2013. Louisa has a Bachelors in Medical Science from the Australian National University, Honors in Sports Science from the University of Canberra, and a PhD from the University of Western Australia. Louisa’s PhD was focused on plasma volume as a confounding factor of the ABP Hematological Module. Between 2012 to 2015 Louisa worked in the Hematology and Biochemistry laboratory at the Australian Institute of Sport, and the research department of Aspetar Sports Medicine Hospital in Qatar. In both institutes she was involved in numerous Anti-Doping research studies. Louisa has also competed as an elite  cyclist with the Australian Nation Team in Europe and America

Before being unanimously appointed as Director General of the International Testing Agency (ITA) by the Board of ITA in February 2018, Benjamin Cohen held the position of Director of the European Office & International Federation Relations at the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA). Prior to joining WADA, Benjamin held various roles in the International Basketball Federation (FIBA) as the Head of Governance and Legal Affairs, in the United Nations Office of Sport for Development and Peace in New York, the Council of Europe and within the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA). He teaches Sports Governance, Dispute Resolution and Anti-Doping at several universities worldwide and is regularly appointed as a guest speaker and legal and governance expert in task forces and commissions at the United Nations, the European Commission, the Council of Europe, the IOC and International Federations.

Before being unanimously appointed as Director General of the International Testing Agency (ITA) by the Board of ITA in February 2018, Benjamin Cohen held the position of Director of the European Office & International Federation Relations at the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA). Prior to joining WADA, Benjamin held various roles in the International Basketball Federation (FIBA) as the Head of Governance and Legal Affairs, in the United Nations Office of Sport for Development and Peace in New York, the Council of Europe and within the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA). He teaches Sports Governance, Dispute Resolution and Anti-Doping at several universities worldwide and is regularly appointed as a guest speaker and legal and governance expert in task forces and commissions at the United Nations, the European Commission, the Council of Europe, the IOC and International Federations.

A DCO for 35 years and an airline pilot for 22 years, Richard has attended both the Winter and Summer Olympic Games, many international events and worked as a delegate for Athletics and World Rugby. As a pilot, he has flown both long-haul and short-haul aircraft. As part of the ITA IDCO Training Team, he trains both new and existing doping control personnel. His extensive experience in both industries makes him well-placed to consider some of the similarities and learning points between aviation and doping control.

Deslyn Pather is the Senior Doping Control Coordinator at the South African Institute for Drug Free Sport (SAIDS). She has close to 10 years of experience in sports management and anti-doping. Her experience includes implementing a national test distribution plan, conducting training sessions for sample collection personnel across African countries and induction training on the anti-doping responsibilities of elite athletes in the Registered Testing Pool (RTP) program. Deslyn’s administrative skills have seen her manage and administer the doping control services at numerous international sports events in South Africa. She was a key member of the doping control administration at the 2016 Olympic and Paralympic Games in Rio de Janeiro.

As  the National Training Coordinator at Sport Integrity Australia (SIA), Adele Weekes oversees the training and accreditation of over 200 Sport Integrity Australia Sample Collection Personnel. She developed the Sample Collection Manual for the new agency and has been a driving force in using technology to provide additional support tools for our Field Staff, including online exams and regular virtual meetings. Her role assists with the delivery of a compliant and effective Sample Collection Process.