Maria Sjödin

Maria Sjödin (she/they) serves as the Executive Director for OutRight Action International. Previously, Maria served as OutRight’s Deputy Executive Director, leading the work of the Development and Communications teams, where they oversaw a period of extraordinary growth in visibility, diversification, and increase in funding, in addition to launching groundbreaking initiatives, such as OutRight’s COVID-19 Global LGBTIQ Emergency Fund and pioneering engagement with international businesses. 

Prior to OutRight, Maria served as Executive Director of RFSL, Sweden’s largest LGBTIQ organization. Maria has led leadership trainings for hundreds of LGBTIQ activists on topics including strength-based coaching and appreciative inquiry. They regularly provide expert opinions to governments, UN agencies, and corporations and are frequently quoted by the media, including by outlets like Time magazine and Thomson Reuters.