The Hague, 18 December 2024 – The Hague Institute for Innovation of Law (HiiL) is delighted to announce the appointment of Udo Jude Ilo as its new Chief Executive Officer, succeeding Sam Muller, the founding CEO.
This leadership transition provides an opportunity to further expand people-centred justice, building on HiiL’s solid foundations. It follows a strategic decision by Sam Muller, who informed the Supervisory Board at the start of the year of his intention to step down and pave the way for a new leader. After a rigorous and thorough recruitment process, the Supervisory Board selected Udo Jude Ilo as the ideal candidate to lead HiiL into its next chapter of innovation and growth.
Udo Jude Ilo brings over two decades of experience in security governance, democracy promotion, and social innovation. Over the past year, he has served as the Interim Executive Director of the Center for Civilians in Conflict (CIVIC), where he successfully enhanced the organisation’s effectiveness, resilience, and global profile. Throughout his career, Udo Jude Ilo has demonstrated a remarkable ability to drive systemic change through creative programming and by fostering new ideas and organisations. His dedication to democracy and innovation aligns seamlessly with HiiL’s mission to ensure justice for all through cutting-edge solutions.
“I am deeply honoured to lead HiiL into its next chapter. Sam Muller has built an extraordinary foundation that has redefined access to justice. As we move forward, I am committed to expanding our impact, harnessing innovation to meet the evolving needs of justice systems globally, and ensuring that HiiL remains at the forefront of creating impactful people-centred solutions.” said Udo Jude Ilo.
The Supervisory Board also takes this opportunity to deeply thank Sam Muller for his outstanding leadership and vision. As founding CEO, Sam Muller has been instrumental in building HiiL into a globally recognised organisation that champions innovation in justice systems worldwide.
“Sam Muller’s exceptional leadership in the last 20 years has been pivotal in shaping HiiL’s growth and global impact. As we look to the future, we are confident that Udo Jude Ilo will continue to build on this legacy, bringing fresh energy, vision, and strategic insight to drive HiiL’s mission forward and further amplify our commitment to people-centred justice,” said Ingrid van Engelshoven, Chair of the Supervisory Board of HiiL.
Udo Jude Ilo will assume his new role on 1 February 2025, and HiiL looks forward to continuing its impactful work under his leadership.
Sam Muller and Udo Jude Ilo have started an onboarding process that will continue in the coming month.
About Udo Jude Ilo
As a Nigerian with firsthand experience of decades of dictatorship and impunity, Udo’s concept of democracy and good governance evolved with a keen understanding of the importance of building solidarity, knowledge and networks for protecting rights and strengthening democratic practices. His 21-year career has focused on addressing impunity, creating innovative approaches to citizen mobilisation, and facilitating a solidarity network for the protection of human rights. He has been a consistent voice for democratic reforms and his most recent work on democracy regression in West Africa is among a growing body of work and thought leadership.
As the leader of Open Society Foundations in Nigeria for a decade, Udo provided strategic leadership on expanding civic space, supporting new organizations and activists, and promoting accountability and good governance. He played a key role in opening the space for new ideas and new organizations and was directly instrumental in birthing or supporting new social innovation and activist groups in Nigeria who have gone on to become major influencers within and beyond Africa.
Udo’s leadership and management experience span founding and running organizations like the Nigerian Bar Association’s social justice program, the pioneer country manager of the Forum of Federations and leading the Center for Civilians in Conflict (CIVIC). As CIVIC’s Senior Director for Advocacy, he expanded partnerships and restructured internal systems to bolster external advocacy. Appointed Interim Executive Director in 2023, he strengthened CIVIC during a critical transition, raising resources, energising CIVIC’s global standing and reforming internal processes.
Udo has demonstrated in his 21 years of professional career, consistency, innovation, audacity, and empathy, which has made him effective in leadership, impactful in programming and remarkable in public engagement. Udo’s most recent writing is a Primer on Influencing Change, which has received rave reviews.
For media enquiries, please contact:
Emmy Dexel, Communications Manager
Emmy.Dexel@HiiL.org
+31 (0)6 – 24 28 94 91
~~~
About HiiL
The Hague Institute for Innovation of Law (HiiL) is an organisation dedicated to people-centred justice. This means justice that is accessible, affordable and easy to understand. We collaborate with justice providers, including ministries of justice and judiciaries, to develop solutions and improve systems so that more people can effectively prevent or resolve their justice problems. This not only benefits individuals; it also contributes to societal well-being and economic growth.
HiiL has programmes in Nigeria, Ethiopia, Uganda, Tunisia, Niger, Burkina Faso, with UNHCR in various countries, and projects in Iraq and Syria.
