In Spring 2025, the World English Language Olympics conducted its official Governing Committee elections in accordance with the WELO Charter.Following a global call for nominations and an open international vote, 19 members were elected by international education organisations worldwide.
Together with one permanent seat for the Founding Organisation (SUL Education) and one permanent seat for the Founding Assessment Organisation, the 21-member Governing Committee serves for the 2026–2030 term.
The Committee represents a diverse group of countries and institutions and acts as the strategic and policy-making body of WELO, ensuring transparency, academic integrity, and global standards.
Leadership Structure
The Governing Committee operates through a defined leadership framework designed to ensure strategic coordination, academic integrity, and international representation.
The Committee includes:
Each role is defined within the WELO Charter and aligned with specific responsibilities.
Chair
Juan M. Elizande Sanchez
Spain
Juan M. Elizande Sanchez was elected Chair of the World English Language Olympics Governing Committee for the 2026–2030 term.
As Chair, he:
The Chair serves a four-year term and is responsible for maintaining transparency, institutional integrity, and effective decision-making across all WELO activities.
Vice-Chairs
Damián Ruiz Tierraseca
Vice-Chair for Academic & Assessment Affairs
Oversees academic standards, competition structure, judging frameworks, and collaboration with the Founding Assessment Organisation.
Leads the Academic & Assessment Subcommittee.
Jorge Alberto Otero
Vice-Chair for Agencies & Public Tender Regulation
Supervises national representative selection, public tender compliance, quota implementation, and national governance alignment.
Leads the Agencies & Public Tender Regulation Committee.
Diana Mondria
Vice-Chair for Sponsorship, Brand & External Relations
Leads global partnerships, sponsorship policy, brand consistency, and international outreach strategy.Chairs the Sponsorship, Brand & External Relations Committee
Secretary-General
Slavas Palkevicius
The Secretary-General serves as the chief executive officer responsible for the operational leadership and day-to-day coordination of WELO.While the Chair leads the Governing Committee strategically, the Secretary-General ensures the execution, administration, and institutional continuity of WELO at the global level.
The position is nominated by the Founding Organisation (SUL Education).
Executive Responsibilities of the Secretary-General:
The Secretary-General serves a four-year term aligned with the Governing Committee cycle
In this capacity, the Secretary-General functions as the operational leader of WELO, ensuring that strategic decisions adopted by the Governing Committee are effectively executed worldwide.
Head of Business Development
Berenice Oliva
The Head of Business Development is responsible for driving WELO’s global growth strategy, partnership expansion, and long-term sustainability.
This role operates in coordination with the Chair and Vice-Chair for Sponsorship, Brand & External Relations, ensuring alignment between governance, national expansion, and commercial partnerships.
Responsibilities include:
The Head of Business Development may be nominated by the Chair and confirmed by the Governing Committee.
This position strengthens WELO’s institutional capacity while maintaining full compliance with Charter principles of transparency and accountability
Governance & Accountability
The Governing Committee is elected every four years through a transparent international voting process. The Charter establishes diversity requirements, country representation criteria, and clear role definitions to safeguard fairness and institutional integrity.
Official documents, including the WELO Charter and Public Tender Guidelines, are available upon request.
Election Framework Summary
