James O’Brien is the Executive Director of the International Forum for Volunteering in Development (Forum). Forum is a global network of organisations that work through volunteers to achieve sustainable development. Forum fosters collaboration between its members and the wider volunteering and development sector through research, standards, and convenings including the annual IVCO conference. Prior to joining Forum, James served in various roles with VSO, most recently as Global Leadership Manager at VSO International and Country Representative for VSO Ireland. He has worked as Coordinator of the Volunteer Groups Alliance, and during the negotiation of the Sustainable Development Goals he was the Chair of the Post-2015 Volunteering Working Group. James has also worked as a consultant on child protection and responsible volunteering. Working with Dóchas, the Irish Association of International NGOs, James led a successful national campaign to protect Ireland’s official development assistance budget during the Global Financial Crisis. As well as his role with Forum, James is the Chair of University College Dublin Volunteers Overseas and serves on the board of the Volunteer Groups Alliance. He holds a Degree in History and Political Science and a M.Phil in International Peace Studies from Trinity College Dublin.