President

Alois Balog - AT

Alois is an experienced dog handler, IRO Judge and Trainer.
With more than 40 years of experience in the management of large organisations, including 27 years as head of his own company, he has extensive know-how to further develop the International Search and Rescue Dog Organisation. Throughout all these years of his involvement in the field of rescue dog work, it has always been his ambition to help raise awareness and gain recognition for the IRO.

 1st Vice President

Claudio Bötschi - CH

Claudio is a self-employed entrepreneur and a highly skilled project manager for international corporations. With over
25 years of operational experience with the fire brigade he started working with search and rescue dogs in 2006. The
MRT-certified sports dog handler is particularly committed to further strengthening the IRO network in order to set standards worldwide together with all member organisations.

2nd Vice President

Ida Bårris - DK

Ida is an IRO trainer, MRT-certified dog handler and, together with her team from RDA, carried out the IRO World Championship and IRO MRT rubble in Aalborg (DK). The main focus of her work at the International Search and Rescue Dog Organisation is on youth work and on providing new impulses for the fundraising of the IRO. 

Spokesperson for Training & Judges

Jerneja Ternovec - SI

Jerneja has been active in search and rescue dog sports since 1995 and became an international IRO Judge in 2008. She is an active dog handler, has trained two Labradors and achieved positive MRT and WM results with the older one. She has already contributed to the International Search and Rescue Dog Organisation on several occasions, among other things by assisting in the selection and training of judge candidates as well as helping to prepare the IPO-R 2019. Jerneja is an IRO representative with all her heart. 

Spokesperson for Deployment

Markus Bock - AT

As Senior Instruction Officer (USAR Austrian Armed Forces) and Team Leader of the "Austrian Forces Disaster Relief Unit" (AFDRU) Markus has proven his expertise in many international missions. As an expert in the international field und with excellent connections worldwide, he is an IRO delegate to INSARAG and working in close cooperation with them. It is especially important to him to bring people and opinions together in order to find useful and future-oriented solutions for the IRO.

 Spokesperson for Marketing & PR

Vedran Vukomanović - HR

Vedran has been an active dog handler for many years and has great expertise in marketing, event management and public relations. Due to his professional, close cooperation with production companies and television stations, he is considered a media expert. He has already initiated numerous projects for the International Search and Rescue Dog Organisation, such as the website relaunch, the new IRO logo and the online shop.

Spokesperson for Finance

Charlotte Kranz - AT

The MRT-certified IRO Judge and Classifier for AFDRU search and rescue dogs has been responsible for the financial affairs of the International Search and Rescue Dog Organisation for several years. Especially in fundraising and donor care she puts her heart and soul into her work and could set the course for the further development of the IRO. She was also playing an important role in the development of the IRO online shop.

Deputy Spokesperson Training & Judges

Katja Skulj – SI

Deputy Spokesperson Deployment

Alexander Hönel – AT

Deputy Spokesperson Finance

Monja Raich – AT

Representative for Asia

Hidehiro Murase – JP

Representative for the Americas (N/S)

Julio Velazquez – MX