ITAA Leadership & Structure
The ITAA’s Board of Directors (BOD) is an elected board which has responsibility for the strategic leadership and overall governance of the organization.
The board consists of a President, President-Elect, Director of Finance, General Secretary, four Directors, and six Directors at Large from across the world.
The board is accountable to our members at the annual general meeting held each year.
ITAA BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Message from The President
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ITAA ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURE
ITAA has numerous Committees, Collaborative Partners and individual roles dedicated to providing the core functions of the organization.
All ITAA Committees are linked back from a governance perspective to at least one member of the BOD. ITAA committee members are made up of BOD members and ITAA members.
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE
This is a subcommittee of the board which acts as the senior leadership team and is responsible for the governance of the ITAA.
President:
Thorsten Geck, Germany
president@itaaworld.com
Members:
President Elect: Marguerite Sacco, South Africa
deputy-president@itaaworld.com
Director of Finance: Mark Carrington, UK
director_finance@itaaworld.com
General Secretary: Rema K Giridhar, India
general-secretary@itaaworld.com
Director of Development: Vanessa Williams, UK
director_development@itaaworld.com
Director of Operations: Sylvie Monin, Switzerland
director_operations@itaaworld.com
Director of Professional Standards: Alice Timmermans, Netherlands
director_professional-standards@itaaworld.com
Director of Research & Innovation: Elvin Aydin Keles, US
director_r-i@itaaworld.com
Director at Large – Australasia and Singapore: Anne Tucker
DAL_australasia@itaaworld.com
Director at Large – Europe and Central Asia: Cristina Caizzi
DAL_eur-ca@itaaworld.com
Director at Large – Asia Pacific: Keiko Hoshino
DAL_apac@itaaworld.com
Director at Large – Central America, South America, Caribbean: Paula Rodrigues
DAL_ca-sa-car@itaaworld.com
Director at Large – North America & Mexico: Alva Ramírez Villatoro
DAL_na-mex@itaaworld.com
Director at Large – Middle East and Africa: Sophie Bruas
DAL_me-af@itaaworld.com
GENERAL SECRETARY
NOMINATIONS COMMITTEE
Seeks and receives nominations for election to the BOD.
Chair: Rema K Giridhar, India
Members:
Thorsten Geck, Germany
Alessandra Pierini, Italy
Anne Tucker, New Zealand
DIRECTOR OF FINANCE
FINANCE COMMITTEE
Responsible for overseeing the finances of the ITAA.
Chair: Mark Carrington, UK
Members:
Chitra Ravi, India
Michael Harsh, USA
DIRECTOR OF PROFESSIONAL STANDARDS
PROFESSIONAL STANDARDS COMMITTEE
Responsible for setting training and supervision standards for all levels of professional membership in association with IBOC.
Co-Chairs: Giles Barrow, UK and Karen Pratt, South Africa
Members:
Alice Timmermans, Netherlands (Director of Professional Standards)
Thorsten Geck, Germany
IBOC COMMITTEE
Works with the Professional Standards Committee to set standards for International Board of Certification.
Co-Chairs: Haseena Abdulla and Sue Eusden
Regional Exam Coordinators:
Europe: Miek Hehenkamp
India: Anisha Pandya
Japan: Masumi Aonuma
New Zealand & Australia: JR-Earn Karen Lam
North America & Latin America: Gloria Noriega
TEW Coordinator: Jacqueline van Gent
Administrator: Sarah Lowes
DIRECTOR OF OPERATIONS
CONFERENCE COMMITTEE
Responsible for accepting bids and supporting the organizing of ITAA conferences.
Chair: Vladimir Goussakovski, Russia
Members:
Alessandra Pierini, Italy
Lucy Freedman, USA
Rema K Giridhar, India
Sylvie Monin, Switzerland
ETHICS COMMITTEE
Responsible for providing a structure for confrontation, a fair hearing, and, if necessary, fair and sound judgment to ensure that members of the ITAA represent and conduct themselves professionally and in line with the ITAA Code of Conduct.
Chair:
Jan Grant, Australia and Anne Tucker, New Zealand
Members:
Michelle Thomé, Brazil
Emma Haynes, UK
John Evans, New Zealand
Keiko Hoshino, Japan
Marina Rajan, India
BYLAWS COMMITTEE
Responsible for overseeing the bylaws of the ITAA.
Chair:
Anne Tucker, New Zealand
Members:
Alessandra Pierini, Italy
Prathitha Gangadharan, India
Rema K Giridhar, India
Sylvie Monin, Switzerland
IT COMMITTEE
Responsible for the association’s use of technology and data protection policy. The IT committee’s mission is to empower the organisation and its members by leveraging technology to enhance communication, collaboration, efficiency and accessibility.
Chair:
John Fleming, Ireland
Members:
Anne Tucker, New Zealand
Rebecca Elston, UK
IT Admin:
Jenneva Guzman, Huntington Association Management, USA
DIRECTOR OF DEVELOPMENT
MEMBERSHIP COMMITTEE
Responsible for coordinating membership-related aspects.
Chair: Vanessa Williams, United Kingdom & Anne Tucker, New Zealand
Members:
Cristina Caizzi, Italy
Keiko Hoshino, Japan
Alva Villatoro, Mexico
Paula Rodrigues, Brazil
Sophie Bruas, South Africa
COMMUNICATIONS COMMITTEE
Responsible for ITAA marketing, branding, and website development.
Chair: Michelle Thomé, Brazil
WEBSITE SUBCOMMITTEE
Webmaster: Sumedh Singh, India
Web Admin: Peggie Chan, Huntington Association Management, USA
SOCIAL ENGAGEMENT COMMITTEE
Responsible for highlighting and responding to the important social and environmental issues of our time in a way that is true to our TA philosophy and values and for providing ways for ITAA members to engage in dialogue on these global issues.
Chair: Günter Josef Mohr, Germany
Members:
Marguerite Sacco, South Africa
Luca Fornari, Italy
Piotr Jusik, Guatemala
Sashi Chandran, India
DEIA TASK FORCE
This Task Force has been given a mandate to examine if ITAA is a Diverse, Equitable, Inclusive and Accessible organisation by the BOD. They are to report their findings by Dec 2024.
Chair: Cristina Caizzi, Italy
Members:
John Fleming, Ireland
Paula Rodrigues, Brazil
Prathitha Gangadharan, India
Sophie Bruas, Ethiopia
Hansika Korivi, India
Tsehaye Alema, Kenya
Alva Villatoro, Mexico
DIRECTOR OF RESEARCH AND INNOVATION
THE SCRIPT EDITORS
Responsible for the production of The Script, ITAA’s monthly newsletter.
Chair: Laurie Hawkes
Member: Robin Fryer
ERIC BERNE FUND FOR THE FUTURE AND SCHOLARSHIP GRANT FUND COMMITTEE
Responsible for raising, managing, and distributing funds accordingly.
Chair: Michael Harsh, USA
Members:
Chitra Ravi, India
Corinne Laurier, France
John Baxendale, UK
John Oates, UK
ERIC BERNE MEMORIAL AWARD COMMITTEE
Responsible for managing the award nomination, review, and selection processes.
Chair: Lis Heath, Psychotherapy, U.K.
Members:
Charlotte Daellenbach, Psychotherapy, New Zealand
Giles Barrow, Education, UK
Joost Levy, Organizational, Netherlands
Mark Widdowson, Psychotherapy, UK
Richard Erskine, Psychotherapy, Canada
Sander Reinalda, Counseling, Netherlands
Suriyaprakash C, Organisational, India
ITAA RESEARCH AWARD COMMITTEE
Responsible for managing the award nomination, review, and selection processes.
Chair: Rosanna Giacometto, Italy
Members:
Anne de Graaf, Netherlands
Biljana van Rijn, UK
Deborah Blagden, UK
Enrico Benelli, Italy
James Sweeney, UK
Mandy Lacy, New Zealand
ROUTLEDGE/TAYLOR & FRANCIS LIAISON COMMITTEE
Responsible for liaising between Routledge, ITAA BOD and the TAJ co-editors on matters concerning the TAJ.
Chair: Steff Oates, UK
Members:
Bill Cornell, USA
Helen Rowland, UK
John Oates, UK
Robin Fryer, USA
ITAA - EATA WEBINAR COMMITTEE
Responsible for coordinating with EATA colleagues to provide regular webinars for both ITAA and EATA members.
Chair: Krystyna Tomanova, Czech Republic
Members:
Chitra Ravi, India
Cristina Caizzi, Italy
Leilani Mitchell, UK
Steff Oates, UK
Sylvia Schachner, Austria
OUR LEADERSHIP HISTORY
ITAA PAST PRESIDENTS
Eric Berne, MD
1964-1966
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David Kupfer, PhD
1966-1970
Ken Everts, MD
1971-1973
John Dusay, MD
William Holloway, MD
1976-1977
Ruth McClendon, MSW
Muriel James, EdD
1980-1981
Norman James, PhD
1982-1983
Ellyn Bader, PhD
1984-1985
Lucy Freedman, MAT
1986-1987
Vince Gilpin, PhD
1988-1990
Julie Hay, DMS
1990-1991
Robin Maslen, MAASW
1992-1993
Servaas Van Beekum, drs.
1994-1995
Gloria Noriega, PhD
1996-1997
George Kohlrieser, PhD
1998-2000
Gordon Hewitt, PhD
2001-2003
James Allen, MD
2004-2006
Gianpiero Petriglieri, MD
2007-2009
Rosemary Napper, MA
2009-2010
John Heath, BSc
2010-2015
C. Suriyaprakash
2016-2017
Diane Salters
2017-2019
Elana Leigh
2020 – 2021
Chitra Ravi
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As a French national who has resided in Africa since age 24, I have spent the last 12 years wholeheartedly contributing to the advancement of coaching and pioneering coaching supervision in East Africa. During this time, TA emerged as an indispensable tool in fortifying both my professional expertise and personal growth. I am a CTA (education) and am committed to continuous learning and development. I am passionate about expanding TA’s influence in regions where its impact is currently limited. This underscores my eagerness to take on the role of regional representative for Africa and the Middle East. I believe that increasing awareness and promoting educational initiatives in these areas will significantly contribute to the positive development of practitioners and the population they serve in the region. I also want to encourage active participation and contributions from thinkers and practitioners based in Africa and the Middle East toward shaping the global TA agenda. Amplifying their voices and insights will enrich the discourse and diversity of perspectives within the global TA community. I am committed to promoting greater cultural awareness and inclusiveness within the TA community by championing diversity and respecting the richness of cultural differences. By being a bridge between the regions I represent and the broader global TA network, I aim to foster collaboration, knowledge sharing, and mutual support among practitioners.
Thorsten appreciates the richness of the intercultural encounter and exchange in the TA community. He also has the strong conviction that TA with its sometimes long and vigorous training process is an advantage to develop personally and professionally. He finds this strength vital for the quality of counselors, coaches, and consultants and their goal to serve the clients. Therefore, he invested his resources in the development of exams as a stepstone to quality and excellence. He was co-chair of IBOC from 2012 and served on the board of trustees as VP of Professional Standards from 2015 on for 2 and a half terms. In EATA he served as coordinator for written exams.
Thorsten thinks that the TA community needs to find answers to the challenges of this time: climate change, diversity, and split in societies and how this change impacts psychologically the experience of the human being. He believes that listening and understanding are essential to dialogue. Also, he believes in the importance of learning and education to make informed choices in complex situations.
TA became one theory and pragmatic approach among others. TA can measure up to academic standards. It is the task and the challenge of transactional analysts to make a point about the resources and strength of the theory which has interlinked concepts and offers maps for understanding self, others, and the relationship between them. On such an account, Thorsten is eager to improve the structures of ITAA for powerful and authentic dynamics between the association, its members, and the professional world. In the role of the president, he will do so by learning, listening, and making decisions with the team of trustees.
Having gained a Master’s Degree in Business Administration at the University Business School in Durham (UK), Mark’s first career was as Marketing Director inside IT and technology companies both in the UK and Europe. After that he became heavily involved with start-up companies wanting to commercialise their Intellectual Property. This second career was in an advisory capacity to deliver Board level “go/no go” decision support for business growth strategies. Often taking-on Executive Director responsibility (both operational and financial), this work was in a range of business types, involved a number of different technologies delivered into international markets.
A third career has been spent facilitating business planning projects using a graphic technique he calls Business Graffiti, producing elegant and powerful plans in visual form. His own research into why human beings tend to deviate from what’s planned (and they do!), led him to discovering TA and then training in the Organisational TA field. Using coaching as a central service supporting change, he’s moving to a fourth career in counselling, simply because coaching conversations increasingly required a more therapeutic element.
He’s on the pathway to CTA (Counselling) and does volunteer work at the Oxford Men’s Counselling Service in the UK as part of his training. He’s also an aspiring poet and cartoonist. In becoming Treasurer, Mark hopes to bring some of his business experience, knowledge and ideas to the next stages of development of the ITAA, on top of solid financial management.
I feel privileged to become ITAA General Secretary. I come from south India and feel this is a great opportunity to increase my connections with the wider TA community. It is almost a decade since TA came into my life, and it has helped me to stay grounded, respectful of others, and authentic in the way I feel, think, and behave. This will help me with the tasks of secretary. I have been part of the South Asian Association of Transactional Analysts (SAATA) as joint secretary and coeditor of the newsletter and have been involved in various day-to-day functions, tasks, and communications. This has helped me build my professional and personal acumen and will also help me to fulfill the responsibilities of ITAA Secretary in the best possible way. I am one of the National Coordinators (India) of the TAPACY projects of IDTA and so far have successfully executed four projects under this banner. I am passionate about working with children and young adults and constantly look for opportunities among the student community to give what I received.
I see this role as an opportunity to support the ITAA which has given me so much by way of learning, growth, and community as well as a way of following my passion to raise awareness about the relevance of TA theory among individuals, groups, and organizations. I started my TA journey in 2003 and am now a practicing PTSTA (organizational). I understand that two key responsibilities of the role of Director of Development are to work through the development committee in provisioning revenue-generating projects that support the development of ITAA members and the wider TA community and to work with the website committee to enhance the image and familiarity of TA among professionals and the lay community. To achieve this, I will focus on extending my relationships across the TA community and partnering with the board of directors, committees, regional representatives, and key stakeholders both within and outside our community. I bring a number of relevant skills and many years of experience to the role. I am accustomed to gaining a deeper understanding of what is needed and collaborating with others and have held both team and project management roles. I believe my strengths lie in building relationships, listening, and understanding others, and working collaboratively. I am excited by the prospect of contributing to ITAA at a strategic level as part of the ITAA Board of Directors and establishing connections across the TA community with a view to making a difference.
Sylvie Monin is a Teaching and Supervising Transactional Analyst in the counseling field and has a Swiss Federal Diploma of Counselor in the psychosocial field. She is based in Geneva, Switzerland, where she runs a private practice working with individuals and groups and is a member of the Executive Committee of the Swiss TA Association. Sylvie has authored articles on TA counseling, was the guest editor of the January 2013 Transactional Analysis Journal issue dedicated to counseling, and has been a coeditor of the TAJ between 2014 to 2023.
Her previous work as an executive assistant led her to work in the United States and Switzerland, where she gained extensive experience in the field of business, international organizations, multinationals, and Swiss private firms. She draws from this experience in her work as a counselor and in her involvement in the TA associations. Sylvie was a member of EATA Council from 2010 until 2018, 6 years of which she served as vice president. She has been intent on gaining recognition for counseling as a professional field and on facilitating closer cooperation and building bridges between the ITAA and EATA. Sylvie received the 2019 ITAA Service Award and is passionate about TA and values its internationality.
With pleasure, I will be happy to contribute to the development of the ITAA. As a TA community, it is of great importance that we ensure the professional standards for TA professionals worldwide. I also believe it is important that we constantly adapt to new times and evolve our standards to meet the ever-changing landscape of our profession. I have an MEd and have a background in working as a principal in continuing education and as a trainer and manager at a teacher training college of a university of applied sciences. In these roles, I have gained extensive experience in the development and assessment of professional standards and the certification for educators at bachelor’s and master’s level, both in a national and international context. Currently, I am the general director, trainer, and supervisor at a TA training institute in The Netherlands. As a TSTA in the organizational field, I also love working with TA in organizations and companies. Through my involvement in (inter)national TA programs, I have experience in working with professional standards and certification in a TA context. This experience has provided me with insights into the nuances and challenges of upholding and advancing standards within the TA community. I strongly believe in fostering an environment that encourages continuous learning and development, aligning with the dynamic nature of our profession. I look forward to, in cooperation with my colleagues, using my knowledge and skills to increase its success and contribute to the TA community worldwide.
Over the years, Transactional Analysis has evolved significantly, and I am deeply committed to ensuring that it takes its rightful place among other well-established therapeutic approaches. In the current landscape of rapid developments in the field of research, it is imperative that our association remain at the forefront and contribute to the advancement of theory and practice in Transactional Analysis.
I am particularly excited about the prospect of rising to this challenge at this pivotal moment in our association’s history. Building on the foundation laid by my predecessor, I am eager to leverage my skills, expertise, and passion for research to propel Transactional Analysis into new realms of innovation and recognition.
The work of those who have come before us has laid a solid foundation, and I am inspired by their dedication to the growth of our field. I am committed to continuing this legacy fostering an environment that encourages cutting-edge research, collaboration, and the exploration of new frontiers within Transactional Analysis.
I am a PTSTA with a specialization in psychotherapy and maintain a fully online private practice, offering therapy and supervision globally, and serve as a trainer in my online psychotherapy program conducted in Turkish as Turkey is my country of origin.
Dedicated to understanding the complexities of the cancer patients’ experiences, I have spent over two decades organizing conferences, workshops, and support groups. My work as a mental health expert and advocate on international cancer organization boards has deepened my commitment to improving the lives of patients. In recent years, I have expanded my focus to training therapists to address the diverse needs of multicultural populations.
I really look forward to contributing to our community in my role as the Director of Research and Innovation.
I am deeply honoured and humbled to accept the nomination for the position of president-elect. Over the past three years, as a member of the Board of Trustees, my connection to the ITAA has grown profoundly, fostering a deep sense of affiliation with the organization and its members.
As president-elect, my intention is to collaborate and support our president, Thorsten Geck, embracing an inclusive mindset that values the diverse perspectives within our global membership. My goal is to strengthen bonds and encourage the exchange of ideas.
In my role as an Organisational PTSTA, I have applied TA principles across various industries in South Africa, driving positive organizational change in both the public and private sectors. South Africa’s 13 official languages, including the recently added sign language, exemplify our nation’s rich diversity. While achieving unity at the political level remains challenging, at the grassroots level, we strive to cultivate and grow unity amid our diversity. This, for me, is essential: recognizing and celebrating our differences while reaching beyond them to connect without boundaries.
My aspiration as president-elect is to sustain the ITAA’s mission and amplify membership initiatives to ensure our continued global impact. With a commitment to inclusivity, robustness, and fairness, I am eager to collaborate with a forward-thinking and positive Board. This opportunity is not just a professional endeavour but a pathway for my personal development and growth. I am honoured by the prospect of working with Thorsten to guide the ITAA through its next chapter.
Besides working with my clients in psychotherapy and with my students in the two Training Institutes where I teach (SSPC-IFREP in Rome and SSPT-SAPA in Latina), I’ve always worked with TA associations, national and international, with the aim of doing my part in making TA more widespread and accredited.
In SIAT, an Italian National Association, I’ve served as part of the Council for 10 years, and for 6 years I’ve been Chair of its Scientific Committee, contributing to the organization of many national conferences and workshops in Italy. Since 2006, I have cooperated with EATA as an Italian translator of the EATA Newsletter and also in serving as an examiner in the CTA and TSTA exams. Since November 2021, I have been the EATA Representative at EAP (European Association of Psychotherapy).
I also cooperate with ITAA. Since 2013, I have been a member of the Transactional Analysis Journal Editorial Board. In the past two years, I’ve served as Chair of the Scientific Committee that organized the ITAA Online Workshop that was run in May 2021. And I co-chaired with Steff Oates the Scientific Committee for the ITAA Online Conference that was held in June 2022.
I’ve worked to spread TA in my country and also abroad by taking part in and organizing TA conferences, workshops, and exams.
It has been more than 12 years since I connected with ITAA, and it was 30 years ago that I first met TA in Japan. I became CTA in 2019 and PTSTA in 2021. I am currently working in the educational field, including TA training. For people from countries where English is not the primary language, it tends to be a challenge to get information about international TA.
To be honest, English can still be a challenge for me. That is why I thought that I, as a member with the challenge of the English language, can make a contribution. For example, I think that in examinations, not only the examiners but also the candidates need to take more account of language and cultural differences.
The experience of focusing on what is created between people and connecting them is a great learning and joy. TA is the joy of connecting people with each other. I would be happy to contribute by working as a bridge so that people in the region can interact with TA people around the world and learn more about each other.
For the last 20 years, Alva has worked as a teacher, psychotherapist, and psychologist, framing her work with TA since beginning her professional practice. Alva became a CTA in 2014 and this year a PTSTA (psychotherapy) because she is enthusiastic about disseminating and training transactional analysts in her country.
Alva has been a member of the ITAA DEIA Task Force to support the analysis of the experiences of ITAA members regarding issues such as inclusion, equity, diversity, and accessibility with an enthusiastic team of colleagues from around the world. Throughout her career she has helped to disseminate TA in Mexico through conferences, workshops, and teaching, mainly in Spanish, and she hopes to expand that experience by contacting others interested in actively participating as ITAA members and contributing to a sense of belonging to a diverse and inclusive community that recognizes the potential of OKness in each person. Alva plans to actively participate in meetings and follow up in her region facilitated by the technology that bridges geographical distances.
She is committed to following Lucy Freedman’s impressive trajectory and to continuing the efforts to provide resources to strengthen community ties, integration, and identity through our common language, TA. Her vision as Director at Large for North America & Mexico is to strengthen support networks among ITAA members, promote TA training in accordance with ethical and professional guidelines, and expand our presence in the community to reach a wider and more diverse audience interested in living the TA philosophy, values, and practice.