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Press Releases

Special Olympics International Board of Directors Elects New and Returning Members

Washington, D.C. – 27 January 2025 The international Board of Directors for Special Olympics elected new members Amb. Mathilde Mukantabana and Mr. Russell Wolff and returning members Mr. Angelo Moratti and Ms. Loretta Claiborne.

“Our international Board of Directors is proof that inclusion for people with intellectual disabilities unites people from every industry, every continent, every way of life. The labels assigned to people to make them competitors or adversaries become strengths at Special Olympics, and our global movement benefits from our Board’s diversity and breadth of lived experiences. We are incredibly fortunate to welcome Mathilde and Russell, and to welcome back Angelo and Loretta.”
Dr. Timothy Shriver, Chairman of the Board

H.E. Ambassador Mathilde Mukantabana serves as Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Rwanda to the United States of America, as well as non-resident Ambassador to Mexico, Brazil, and Argentina. Her ambassadorial responsibilities include promoting stronger bilateral relations with the US, Argentina, Brazil, and Mexico, advancing Rwandan policies and priorities abroad, championing Rwanda’s culture, history, and economy, and engaging Rwanda’s diaspora in the United States to participate in the development of their country of origin. Prior to her diplomatic career, Ambassador Mukantabana served in higher education as a tenured professor of History in Sacramento, California, and as a lecturer of Social Work at the National University of Rwanda. Concurrent with her academic work, she co-founded Friends of Rwanda Association (F.O.R.A), a nonprofit American relief organization launched in the wake of the 1994 Genocide against Tutsi in Rwanda. In addition, under the aegis of the United Nations for Development Programs (UNDP), Ambassador Mukantabana started the academic program of Social Work at the National University of Rwanda in 1999 and was a Lecturer in the program for several years. She also serves on the Sonoma State University board of Holocaust and Genocide Studies.

Mr. Russell Wolff is a Managing Director and Head of Sports, Media & Entertainment Operations at Sixth Street, a leading global investment firm, where he focuses on the firm's strategic investments in Sports, Media, and Entertainment. Prior to joining Sixth Street in 2024, Wolff served as a senior leader at ESPN/Walt Disney, including Executive Vice President/General Manager of ESPN+ and Executive Vice President and Managing Director of ESPN International. Before joining ESPN in 1997 in Hong Kong, he worked at MTV Networks and began his career in 1989 in Client Services at Leo Burnett Company. Wolff was long-serving member on the boards of ESPN, Inc., NBA China, ESPN STAR Sports (Asia), and CTV Specialty (Canada-TNS/RDS). He led ESPN’s relationship with the Special Olympics from 2014 through 2023 including ESPN’s broadcasts of Special Olympics World Games in Los Angeles (2015), Austria (2017), Abu Dhabi (2019) and Berlin (2023). Wolff also led ESPN’s participation in the 2018 50th Anniversary celebration of Special Olympics.

Mr. Angelo Moratti currently serves as the Chairman of Special Olympics Italy and is the Founder and Chairman of Angel Capital Management, a leading private investment firm. Moratti is also the Founder and Chairman of Milano Investment Partners. He is the Founder and former Chairman of E-PLANET, a major Italian telecommunication Operator, and Sarlux, a company that built and managed an electrical power station. Moratti has served on the Boards of Inter Milan Football Club, Olimpia Milano Basketball Club, and the Associazione Amici del Centro Dino Ferrari, an association supporting the research for neurodegenerative diseases founded by Enzo Ferrari in memory of his son Dino.

Ms. Loretta Claiborne is the Chief Inspiration Officer for Special Olympics and shares her personal story to promote hope and tolerance for all people around the world. Claiborne is a world- class runner and gifted motivational speaker who happens to also be a Special Olympics athlete and a person who has an intellectual disability. She has received two honorary doctorate degrees (Quinnipiac University in 1995 and Villanova University in 2003, and York College of Pennsylvania, 2019); completed 26 marathons (she finished in the top 100 women of the Boston Marathon with her best time 3:03); received the 1996 ESPY Award-Arthur Ashe Award for Courage; has a 4th degree black belt in karate; and is an inductee into the Women in Sports Hall of Fame and Special Olympics Pennsylvania Hall of Fame. She is also an accomplished public speaker who introduced President Clinton at the 1995 Special Olympics World Summer Games, appeared twice on the Oprah Show, communicates in four languages, and is fluent in American Sign Language.

The international Board of Directors for Special Olympics is the ultimate governing authority for the global movement. Composed of Special Olympics athletes and leaders in business, government, disability, sports, and entertainment, the Board is responsible for global affairs and strategies of Special Olympics. Board Members are elected to three-year terms and may be re-elected twice.

Full biographies and a complete list of Board members are available on specialolympics.org.

About Special Olympics

Founded in 1968, Special Olympics is a global sports movement to end discrimination against people with intellectual disabilities. We foster acceptance of all people through the power of sport and programming in education, health and leadership. With over four million athletes and Unified Sports® partners and one million coaches and volunteers in 200 countries, Special Olympics delivers more than 30 Olympic-type sports and nearly 50,000 games and competitions every year. Engage with us on: X, Facebook, YouTube, Instagram, TikTok, and LinkedIn. Learn more at SpecialOlympics.org.
Media Contact

Christy Weir

Special Olympics International
Vice President, International Media Relations & Communications
+1 202-738-8511