INHOPE is proud to announce the appointment of Samantha Woolfe as our new Executive Director.

Having joined INHOPE in 2013, she has spent the last seven years leading Global Partnerships and Network Expansion, playing a pivotal role in strengthening the network and driving collaboration across industries and borders. In this interview, she reflects on her journey, shares her aspirations, and looks ahead to the challenges and opportunities of guiding INHOPE into the future.

Could you share a bit about your background and your journey at INHOPE so far?

I’ve always been drawn to people and to understanding how we connect and protect each other, especially the most vulnerable in society. From an early age I found myself focused on marginalised groups: organising visits to elderly people who couldn’t leave their homes, creating a student group to support local families with disabled children, and later mentoring children in extremely difficult circumstances while studying law and qualifying in social work. That draw to people is what led me to study both social anthropology and law - to explore the human side of communities as well as the structures that can safeguard them. Looking back, it makes sense that my career path has brought me to eventually lead an organisation that prioritises the protection of children.

Early in my career, I worked with internet industry organisations in the UK, Europe, and the US, advising on legislation when the digital world still felt like new territory. At the time, we didn’t fully grasp how profoundly the internet would reshape our lives and societies. What struck me was its incredible potential for good, but also its capacity to cause real harm if left unchecked.

Joining INHOPE brought all of this together - law, policy, technology, and child protection. Since then, I’ve focused on expanding our network of hotlines, supporting members, and building partnerships. But this journey has also been personal. Having spent my teens and twenties meeting children and families in difficult situations, and later becoming a parent myself, I feel a deep sense of responsibility in an increasingly complex world. Quite simply, every child deserves to be safe, and every survivor deserves to know there are people working to protect them and prevent revictimisation. That is what I do alongside the INHOPE team and our incredible network of hotlines.

As you step into this role, what are your key aspirations for the organisation?

My aspiration is to lead with integrity, intention, and accountability. I want to reset where needed, rebuild where foundations have been shaken, and ensure that INHOPE continues to be strong, visible, and dynamic.

I want our hotlines to feel supported and proud of their work, knowing they are never alone in this fight. I want INHOPE staff to feel valued and confident in their contribution. And I want INHOPE to keep innovating and shaping the global response to online child sexual exploitation, not just as a network, but as a movement that is agile, diverse, innovative, and always centred on protecting children.

Looking ahead, what do you see as the biggest challenges and opportunities in this role?

The challenges are, in my view, threefold:

1. The sheer volume and scale of child sexual abuse material online is staggering.
2. Offenders adapt faster than systems do, constantly finding new ways to exploit technology.
3. There is the ongoing challenge of building and maintaining trust across jurisdictions, across sectors, and across stakeholders. Without that trust, information doesn’t flow, and children cannot be protected.

The opportunities lie in meaningful and consistent cooperation. No hotline, agency, or company can tackle this alone, but together we can make a difference. INHOPE is uniquely positioned to bridge these worlds, and we already do so through our tech projects: connecting law enforcement and industry with hotlines through the Universal Classification Schema, linking law enforcement and hotlines through CPORT, facilitating cooperation between INTERPOL and hotlines through ICCAM, and ensuring new material is submitted to ICSE.

We also work closely with civil society as partners, and as the network expands, that cooperation only strengthens. If we can secure the swift removal of illegal content while ensuring actionable intelligence reaches law enforcement, then we succeed where it matters most: saving children, today and tomorrow.

What excites you most about leading INHOPE into the future?

What excites me most is the strength and potential of this network. INHOPE has 57 members today, all deeply committed to protecting children, and we are continuing to grow. Our members bring extraordinary expertise, resilience, and dedication, and when that collective force comes together, it can drive real change.

I am also energised by the role INHOPE plays as a connector and thought leader in this space. We stand at the intersection of law enforcement, industry, governments, and civil society, and that unique position allows us to build bridges where they are most needed. Leading INHOPE into the future means not only managing an organisation, but also helping to shape the global fight against online child sexual abuse material, something that is both exciting and humbling.

Is there a message you’d like to share with the INHOPE network as you begin this new chapter?

First, thank you. Your support and confidence mean everything, and it is a privilege to lead this network.

We have a clear mission, an internet free from child sexual abuse material, and while the challenges ahead are immense, our strength lies in moving forward together. If we remain united, ambitious, and focused, INHOPE will not only continue to grow but will deepen its impact, protecting more children and supporting more survivors. That is the responsibility we carry, and it is also our greatest opportunity.