Meet the people leading the Singapore Red Cross and hear how they are advancing SRC’s humanitarian mission in a world made more vulnerable by the pandemic, environmental disasters and political tension.

Benjamin William, Secretary General

“The growth and development of our people is key to ensuring we can handle the new humanitarian challenges that are emerging.  With this in mind, we have been building up the capabilities of our staff members and grooming our future leaders to bring the organisation forward.  I am glad to announce the appointment of a group of four members of the senior management team to the level of Assistant Secretary Generals and Group Directors. They have all shown the capacity to grow and thrive in the face of change and crisis. I am hopeful they will bring renewed energy to our staff and the community we serve, and take our humanitarian work to the next level.”

Charis Chan, Assistant Secretary General, Operations

Charis is responsible for SRC’s operations, networks, and deployment of humanitarian assistance and services, both locally and internationally. She oversees the departments for Global Engagement, Community Engagement, Volunteer Management, Youth Development and Care Services for the elderly and disabled.

“The COVID pandemic was a wake-up call that in a crisis, no one is safe until everyone is
safe. We also saw how the challenges of the disadvantaged and vulnerable are further magnified during crises. I am convinced that we need to be relentless in expanding our community engagement and programmes that serve the vulnerable. We need to do this by training and deploying our volunteers, mobilising resources, and building our network of humanitarian services in Singapore. At the same time, we must nurture humanitarian leaders in the next generation through our Youth Movement, including the Red Cross Youth in educational institutions. Through these concerted efforts, we can be better prepared to handle the socio-economic challenges, like an ageing population, as well as, ongoing and future crises, and strengthen overall community resilience.”

Eileen Cher, Assistant Secretary General, Corporate

Eileen is responsible for SRC’s branding, as well as the development of SRC’s employees and resources. She oversees the Corporate Services departments, which include Resource Development, Corporate Communications & Marketing, Human Resources, and Admin & Information Technology

“People are the heart of the Singapore Red Cross. I’ll be building on SRC’s inclusive culture to enrich and develop the strengths of Red Crossers, who are family at SRC. We’ll continue to find innovative ways to engage our donors and partners, and to catalyse their contributions to support the vulnerable in our community. The common thread through all these is to forge a stronger foundation that positions the organisation for continual growth, so we can collectively mount an effective response to any challenge that comes our way.”

Sahari Ani, Group Director & Dean, Singapore Red Cross Academy

Sahari will expand SRCA’s training and capacity building programmes across life support, caregiving and mental health in Singapore and overseas, and position SRCA to become the thought leader and premier academy for humanitarian aid in Singapore.

“When I was in Ukraine with the SRC relief team, I was moved by the hospitality that fellow Ukrainians extended to each other despite their own distress and plight. We must keep this spirit of humanity alive if we are to overcome crises. SRCA equips individuals with the skills and knowledge to do this by reducing suffering and saving lives in the face of adversity. We champion Psychosocial First Aid, because disaster trauma often goes beyond the physical.
We will continue to build our First Aid knowledge and resources for the community, to strengthen our resilience and defence against disasters.

Prakash Menon, Group Director, Blood Donor Programme

Prakash will focus on expanding the National Blood Programme to meet the needs of our aging population, by growing our youth blood donor base and developing strategic partnerships with public, private and civic organisations for blood donation.

“Blood donation is a key pillar of our healthcare system and an integral part of Singapore’s defence against crisis and disaster. It is vital that we raise awareness on this and cultivate a culture of giving blood in our community, especially among our youth, if we are to secure the longevity of our blood donation programme. We aim to make regular blood donation a way of life for youth, by launching new programmes to engage them on blood donation, and aligning the blood donation experience and blood bank locations to their lifestyle.