Laurent Huber
Executive Director
Laurent Huber is the Executive Director of Action on Smoking and Health (ASH) and a recognized leader in tobacco control.
He joined ASH in 2000 at a time when the organization, as a response to the increased global tobacco epidemic, decided to engage in global solutions to reduce the death, disease and economic losses caused by tobacco.
While at ASH, he directed an international coalition of over 350 non-governmental organizations from more than 100 countries. This international coalition has been widely recognized by governments, non-governmental organizations and the World Health Organization (WHO) for its vital role in shaping the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control, the first global public health treaty negotiated under the auspices of the WHO. Laurent also helped ensure that tobacco was addressed in other international public health initiatives including the United Nations High Level Meeting on Non-Communicable Diseases.
Laurent has played an influential role in tobacco control for over ten years reaching out to advocates and policymakers around the world. A natural coalition builder, he has had a major impact in the international health and tobacco control movement.
Laurent holds a master’s of science degree with a focus on exercise physiology research and before beginning to work full time in tobacco control in 2000, he directed a number of nonprofit organizations where he helped develop and implement non communicable disease prevention programs for at-risk and native populations.
Fluent in four languages, Laurent has been a presenter on public health and tobacco control policy at events for advocates and legislators as well as at conferences and academic institutions around the world. Laurent serves on a number of panels and advisory boards at academic institutions and corporations as well as intergovernmental organizations that address healthy policy matters such as the United Nations and the World Health Organization.
For his efforts in health and international tobacco control, Laurent received the American Lung Association- C. Everett Koop Foundation award in 2005. In addition, under his leadership, the alliances he directed received the prestigious Luther Terry award in 2006, the Premio SEDET in 2008 and the WHO World No Tobacco Day award in 2011.
Chris Bostic
Policy Director
Chris Bostic is ASH’s Policy Director. Since 2001, Chris has worked in tobacco policy at the local, state, national and international levels. Prior to joining ASH, he worked at the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids and the American Lung Association. He has also served as a public health law clinical instructor at the University of Maryland Francis King Carey School of Law and was a founding board member of the Human Rights and Tobacco Control Network (HRTCN).
In his current position, Chris oversees the development and implementation of ASH’s programs with a particular focus on tobacco endgame and tobacco industry monitoring. He chairs the U.S. and global steering committees for Project Sunset, an effort to phase out the sale of commercial tobacco products.
Chris holds a juris doctorate from the Washington College of Law, and a Master of Science in Foreign Service from Georgetown University.
Kelsey Romeo-Stuppy
Managing Attorney
Kelsey Romeo-Stuppy has been working on global tobacco control since 2013. As Managing Attorney, Kelsey leads ASH’s program on liability, including pursuing criminal and civil cases against the tobacco industry. Kelsey also leads ASH’s human rights program, which includes drafting reports and advocating with the United Nations Human Rights Council and various human rights treaty bodies, as well as launching and managing ASH’s Tobacco and Human Rights Hub, among other projects that lead us closer to ending the tobacco epidemic.
Kelsey has received commendation for her legal writing and advocacy. Kelsey has been a presenter and organizer of public health, tobacco control policy, liability, and human rights at events around the world, including ASH’s Global Forum on Human Rights and a Tobacco-Free World, hosted by the Romanian President in the Presidential Palace in Bucharest, Romania.
Kelsey trains advocates to use legal and human rights arguments to further their tobacco control efforts. She has published numerous articles in peer reviewed journals. One such article, published in the American Bar Association’s International Law News on Tobacco and Human Rights in Latin America was chosen by another ABA Publication, GP Solo Magazine, to be included in a “Best of the ABA” feature issue.
Kelsey strives to continue learning and has completed numerous continuing education programs including earning a certificate from Georgetown Law’s O’Neill Institute Summer Program on Health Rights Litigation. Kelsey holds a J.D. from the University of Pittsburgh School of Law, where she also earned a certificate in International and Comparative Law, and centered her coursework around human rights.