It is hard to avoid spending a few hours online each day trawling through the news about COVID-19 and discussing possible outcomes. This information overload is part of dealing with the anxiety of our times. COVID-19 is arguably one of the biggest crises on a globally, and our thoughts continue to be with the people affected and the health professionals working around the clock to help those most in need.
At WiFA, we are working to do our part by ensuring the safety of our Team and our Members. For the past few months, we are conducting dry runs on different online meeting tools to bring our sessions to you virtually. The Steering Committee met to craft exciting new events, revamping existing programmes with the focus to help our members engage with each other while remaining remote. We will also be sharing information about ways members can support in the coming weeks. Please reach out to Bonnie Ohri, WiFA Executive Director with interests.
On a separate note, Benedicte Nolens and Bonnie So have taken the reins from Aoife McGillion and Kate Reid to be the co-Chairs for WiFA from January 2020. We would like to take this opportunity to introduce the 2020 committees and co-Chairs:
- Networking Committee: Jennifer Hsieh and Bernice M.S. Choi
- Education Committee: Laurence Van der Loo, Marie Herreman-Swarbreck, Catherine Chen
- Mentors and Mentees Program: Sonja Key, Tonia Wong Kee and Donna Titley
- Philanthropy Committee: Karen Liu and Penny Barsha
- Thought Leadership Committee: Rebecca Sin
- Emerging Talent Committee: Katie Mok and Boni Liu
As many of you are aware, Jo Allum, WiFA Administrator, is moving back to the UK this summer. When her roles and responsibilities were reviewed, we knew that it was impossible to hire someone to replace her. So we restructured her responsibilities and divided up the work among several WiFA leads. We are delighted to identify Bonnie Ohri, WiFA Executive Director to provide oversight. She will work closely with the new WiFA leads who will support the organisation, corporate sponsors, and members:
- Treasurer: Mei Ling Tse
- Legal Lead: Urszula McCormack
- Event Management Lead: Celine Zhang
- Marketing Lead: Connie Au
- Funding Lead: Ruoyi Ma
Please join us in congratulating these wonderful women in their new roles. They are dedicating their time to contribute to WiFA on a pro bono basis. We wish Aoife McGillion, Kate Reid, and Jo Allum all the very best in their new roles. They will continue their support as Chairman Emeritus for WiFA and as members of the organisation.
Meanwhile WiFA will continue to monitor and assess the COVID-19 situation constantly and continue to react quickly and effectively. We hope you and your loved ones stay safe and healthy during these unprecedented times.