About us
PhD in Health Sciences, University of Antwerp, 2017
Master of Science in Criminology, cum laude, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, 2009
Master of Arts in Ethics, summa cum laude; Vrije Universiteit Brussel, 2007
Dr. Tine Vertommen
Director
Dr. Tine Vertommen is a renowned expert in safeguarding and preventing violence in sports, with a strong academic and consulting background. She leads the Safeguarding Sport and Society research team at Thomas More University of Applied Sciences in Belgium and serves as a visiting professor at Ghent University. Dr. Vertommen is also a trusted external expert for the Safe Sport Unit at the International Olympic Committee (IOC), where she collaborates on developing evidence-based policies and tools to ensure safer sports environments worldwide.
Driving research and policy on violence prevention
Dr. Vertommen’s extensive research addresses the prevalence and prevention of interpersonal violence against children and adolescents in sport.
- She coordinates the International Research Network on Violence and Integrity in Sport (IRNOVIS)
- She leads the Safe Football Allies project, funded by the Oak Foundation
- She co-authors the 2024 IOC Consensus Statement on Interpersonal Violence and Safeguarding in Sport.
- She is a member of the Council of Europe’s Safe Sport Pool of International Experts and the European Commission’s High-Level Expert Group on Gender Equality in Sport
A lifelong advocate for change in sport
Tine’s journey into safeguarding began with her master’s theses in Ethics and Criminology, where she challenged the harmful coaching practices and harassment often seen in competitive sport. Witnessing violations of children’s rights in sports environments ignited her dedication to studying and advocating for violence prevention strategies in sports. Her commitment continues today through her research and policy work, aimed at creating safe, positive environments for athletes at all levels.
Background in competitive swimming
Tine’s passion for sport began early, swimming competitively from age six and eventually winning multiple Belgian championships. Her successful career as a sub-elite international swimmer included competing in the European Youth Olympic Days (1999) and the European Youth Championships (2000, 2001). Although she retired from competitive swimming in 2003 to pursue higher education, the experience shaped her understanding of high-performance sports culture and continues to inform her work in safeguarding.
Based in Antwerp, Belgium, Tine is a mother of two teenage daughters and enjoys family life with her husband and their dog.
SAFE FOOTBALL ALLIES
Project lead
IOC SAFE SPORT UNIT
Expert consultant
Council of Europe POOL OF EXPERTS ON SAFE SPORT
Member
EUROPEAN COMMISSION HIGHLEVEL EXPERT GROUP ON GENDER EQUALITY IN SPORT
Member
ACADEMIC ADVISORY BOARD OF THE, IOC CERTIFICATE SAFEGUARDING OFFICER IN SPORT
Member
INTERNATIONAL RESEARCH NETWORK RESEARCH NETWORK ON VIOLENCE AND INTEGRITY OF SPORT
Coordinator
VOICES FOR TRUTH AND DIGNITY PROJECT
Belgian partnership lead
DUTCH INVESTIGATIVE COMMISSION DE VRIES
Researcher
INTERNATIONAL CENTER ETHICS IN SPORT
Board member
UNIVERSITY FORENSIC CENTER
Criminologist
Tine founded Arch Safeguarding in 2022 and serves as its director.
While Tine leads the consultancy, she collaborates with a network of safeguarding experts, researchers, graphic designers, copywriters, and project managers on a freelance basis, bringing in additional expertise as needed. This flexible approach allows Arch Safeguarding to tailor its services to the specific needs of each project, ensuring the highest quality and impact.
Learn more about Tine’s work in the Safeguarding Sport & Society research team at Thomas More University of Applied Sciences here:
Learn more about the work of the IOC Safe Sport Unit here:
ARCH affiliated consultants
Nina SølVBERG
Researcher at Arch Safeguarding
Nina is based in Oslo, Norway, and is a former wheel gymnast with a passion for outdoor sports. She recently completed her PhD on interpersonal violence in sport and brings strong expertise in safeguarding research. Nina is currently contributing on a prevalence study on interpersonal violence in sport in Luxembourg.
Lauranna TEUNISSEN
Researcher at Arch Safeguarding
Lauranna lives in Belgium and works in the Netherlands, where she is a postdoctoral researcher in Communication Sciences focusing on health and persuasive communication related to food and gambling. She holds a PhD in Social Sciences and brings strong methodological expertise to the team. She is currently contributing to a prevalence study on violence in sport commissioned by the Dutch Center for Safe Sport.
Isabelle TAY
Researcher at Arch Safeguarding
Isabelle Tay is a Singapore-based behavioural scientist and former professional athlete who specialises in athlete wellbeing and safeguarding. She holds a PhD and MA in Psychological Sciences from Stanford University, and is a certified safeguarding practitioner. Isabelle has led the development of global safeguarding frameworks for the World DanceSport Federation and contributed to the evaluation of the IOC Certificate Safeguarding Officer in Sport.
AYCA GURSOY
Community engagement and Communication at Arch Safeguarding
Ayça is originally from Turkey and recently moved to Lausanne for a one-year traineeship at the International Olympic Committee. She holds a Master’s degree in Ethics and Integrity in Sport (MAISI) and has a background in nutrition. A former volleyball player, Ayca combines her academic expertise with her passion for sport. She has collaborated with the Thomas More Safeguarding Sport and Society research team since 2023 and currently supports Arch communications.
Renata Falcão
Junior researcher at Arch Safeguarding
Renata Falcão is a Brazilian lawyer and researcher, with a Master’s degree in Criminology from KU Leuven. Her work is dedicated to addressing harm and promoting safer environments. With a strong research background, she aims to provide evidence-based solutions to promote safeguarding and inclusion within communities and organizations. Renata conducted a desktop analysis on current safeguarding frameworks and codes. This project was successfully concluded in April 2025.
Polona Fonda
Communication and design
With extensive experience in values-based digital and projects communications creation, design and management, Polona has been working with organizations, universities and experts in the field of sport and health since 2012. Her expertise is values-based digital communications with a specific focus on content creation and design that promotes dialogue, respect, inclusion and diversity. Polona designed the Arch Safeguarding webpage and creates infographics and other visual materials.
GET IN CONTACT
Want to empower your organisation and community to create safe, inclusive, and effective environments through a range of services rooted in the latest evidence and best practices?
Get in contact with us
GET IN CONTACT
Want to empower your organisation and community to create safe, inclusive, and effective environments through a range of services rooted in the latest evidence and best practices?