Mariana Behr

BRA

Role

Former Head of Engagement and Education

Organization

Rio 2016

For the past eight years, Mariana Behr has been involved in creating positive and lasting social change through sport. During her time working for the Organising Committee for the Rio 2016 Olympic and Paralympic Games, she leveraged her roles as Head of Engagement and Head of Education to create unique experiences and opportunities for different segments of the Brazilian population. One such opportunity was the Rio 2016 Education Programme, which promoted healthier and more active lifestyles and instilled the values learned through sport in schoolchildren across Brazil.

Previously, Behr worked as Head of International Cooperation at ERTICO, where she led complex, multi-party projects financed by the European Commission and worked with private corporations, governments, non-profit organisations and multilateral institutions.

Behr continues to work on initiatives that use sport as a tool for change, and is currently working with disenfranchised individuals, aiding them in regaining their voices and using the power of their narratives to positively impact the lives of others.

She holds a master’s degree from Harvard University’s John F. Kennedy School of Government.

The speakers

Using the unique power of sport to bring people together, the Olympism in Action Forum saw a range of global players, including Olympic Movement stakeholders, athletes, private and public sector leaders, NGO representatives, academics, artists and the media come together to talk on topical contemporary issues. Chosen because of their ability to effect change and their wide range of sometimes differing opinions, the speakers led lively debates and seeked to challenge received wisdom to inspire new ways of thinking.