Human Rights Working Group

Kayla collaborates with BSR member companies on projects centering on the corporate responsibility to respect human rights, focusing on companies within the consumer sectors industry cluster. Her areas of expertise include energy transition, anti-corruption, and gender.

Prior to joining BSR, Kayla spent several years advising multinational companies and investors on human rights as an Adviser at the Danish Institute for Human Rights, during which she also served as a Lecturer in Law at the University of Amsterdam, focusing on Business and Human Rights (BHR), international human rights, anti-corruption, and EU law. Previously, she worked on global anti-corruption investigations and cross-border white collar litigations as an Associate Attorney at the international law firm King & Spalding LLP, where she was the founding member of the firm's BHR initiative.

Kayla holds a JD and a Certificate in Global Human Rights from the University of Pennsylvania School of Law, which included course work at the Institut de hautes études internationales et du développement, and a BA, Phi Beta Kappa, Summa Cum Laude from Tulane University.

Recent Insights From Kayla Winarsky McKenzie

• Democracy and Human Rights: How Businesses Can Uphold the Rule of Law / March 26, 2025 / Blog
• Preventing Conflict and Protecting Rights in the Renewable Energy Boom / October 14, 2024 / News
• Three Approaches for Integrating Human Rights into Company Risk Registers / February 27, 2024 / Blog
• Rapid Human Rights Due Diligence During Political and Armed Conflict: A Business Response to Ukraine / April 7, 2022 / Blog
• New York’s Trendsetting Legislation Unveiled: Fashion Sustainability and Social Accountability Act / February 10, 2022 / Blog

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Maria supports BSR member companies across various industries in respecting human rights across their organizations and value chains.

Prior to joining BSR, Maria worked for the NGO Pact, where she acted as a key point of contact between donor and field teams for the International Tin Supply Chain Initiative, the largest traceability and due diligence program for tin, tungsten, and tantalum (3T minerals) in the African Great Lakes Region. She also advised mining companies on incident resolution and risk mitigation in mineral supply chains, with a focus on the Democratic Republic of the Congo’s South Kivu province. Before that, Maria worked in Myanmar for Human Rights Now, where she researched human rights violations in the supply chains of Japanese companies.

Maria holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Applied English and Japanese studies from the University of Paris and a joint Master’s Degree in Global Studies from the Universities of Vienna and Leipzig. She speaks French, German, English, and Japanese.

Margot supports BSR member companies across industries in advancing human rights and sustainability management throughout their value chains. She also works on BSR’s Human Rights Working Group team, helping companies around the world implement the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights and navigate emerging trends and best practices to strengthen their human rights strategies.

Before joining BSR, Margot worked in partnerships and public affairs at the United Nations Foundation, where she managed relationships with civil society, corporate partners, and UN agencies to advance the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Her work included managing Global Goals Week, leading private sector engagement for the award-winning #EqualEverywhere gender equality campaign, and coordinating a U.S. Youth Climate Consultation for UN Climate Strategy alongside youth activists and UN bodies. Before this, Margot worked at a Colombian foundation in Bogotá and at a Geneva-based NGO focused on children's rights.

Margot holds a BA in International Relations from the University of Exeter and is fluent in English, French, and Spanish.

Recent Insights From Margot Thompson-Wells

• Five Ways Companies Can Help Smallholders and SMEs Prepare for Upcoming Regulations / March 19, 2024 / Blog

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Jenny leads BSR’s human rights team and portfolio across consulting and collaboration. In addition to directing BSR’s Human Rights Working Group, Jenny leads human rights assessments and partners with companies to develop human rights strategies and stakeholder engagement plans. She works across industries with a focus on energy, technology, and conflict-affected and high-risk contexts.

Prior to joining BSR, Jenny worked at Mercy Corps for over a decade in field management and advisory roles to prevent and mitigate conflict, promote inclusive economic development, and build civil society capacity. As the organization’s first Peace and Governance Director in Myanmar and later as the Director of the Peace and Conflict technical advisory team, she designed and implemented programs to reduce violence, promote peace and development, and address critical and emerging threats like climate change, disruptive technology, and poor governance. She has experience in context analysis, stakeholder engagement, negotiation, project design and implementation, and strategic planning. Jenny has lived and worked in countries including Myanmar, Indonesia, Nepal, Israel/Occupied Palestinian Territories, Ethiopia, Kenya, Uganda, Nigeria, Central African Republic, and Cameroon. 

Jenny holds a MA in International Relations from the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies and a BA in Psychology from the University of Wisconsin at Madison.

Recent Insights From Jenny Vaughan

• Responsible Innovation in the Automotive Industry / August 28, 2024 / Blog
• Top 10 Human Rights Priorities for the Automotive Sector / August 28, 2024 / Primers
• Making Connections Across Professions / September 27, 2023 / Blog
• Human Rights Due Diligence of Meta’s Impacts in Israel and Palestine in May 2021 / September 22, 2022 / Blog
• Human Rights in the Healthcare Sector: Current State of Play / June 2, 2022 / Blog

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