Executive Committee

Sabrina joined the CDC Executive Committee as a parent member in 2000. She was the honorary treasurer from 2002 to 2007 and was elected Chairman in 2007. Sabrina won an award at the Directors of the Year Awards 2018 in the ‘Statutory/Non-profit-distributing Organisations Category’. Sabrina is a professional chartered accountant with more than 30 years of experience. She retired as finance director for an international law firm in Hong Kong in November 2020. She has contributed her time and effort to a wide variety of HK NGOs and community services since her return from the UK, but CDC remains closest to her heart. Sabrina’s son attended the CDC for two years due to his premature birth. He went to a mainstream school and graduated from university in 2019. Sabrina’s passion about the CDC’s work stems from the early intervention provided for her son and family in the early years of his life.

Gordon joined the CDC Executive Committee in December 2016. After joining the Administrative Service of the Hong Kong Government in 1973, he held a wide variety of senior administrative positions in government, becoming the Registrar of Companies in 1993. On retiring from the civil service in 2008, he was awarded The Bronze Bauhinia Star to acknowledge his many years of outstanding public service. Since retirement, he is very active in educational and arts development. He is, inter-alia, an Honorary Fellow of Lingnan University, a Fellow of the ICSA, a director of Opera Hong Kong and an active member of St. John’s Cathedral where he sings in the Cathedral Choir. His proven and long-running social commitment is now reflected in helping pre-school children with educational needs to embark on their learning journeys.

Virginia advocates for every child’s right to receive a tailored education to support their individual needs. She rejoined the committee in 2021, believing the CDC is where the children and their families are given the spark that ignites their learning journey.

Leading private and social enterprises for over 25 years in multilateral, culturally diverse environments, Virginia has a demonstrated track record of securing strategic partnerships between corporations, governments, and non-profits to deliver on projects to bring to life innovations that influence our society.

Virginia focuses on education as she believes that investing in people is the key driver for impactful change. She is the Chief Executive Officer of the Shared Value Initiative Hong Kong. Previously, she was Global COO of OneSky and Chief Executive of The Child Development Centre.

Clara is a professional chartered accountant with more than 30 years of solid experience in various financial management and advisory roles. Prior to joining the Novel Enterprises Limited as the Chief Financial Officer, she has worked with several prominent public organisations including the Hospital Authority, the Housing Authority and the Hong Kong Jockey Club. Throughout her years with these large public organisations, her key role focused predominantly on adding value through strategic financial management for better business decisions, continuous improvement of financial control frameworks, audit management, overseeing budget planning and management as well as statutory financial reporting. Clara is a certified public accountant and a member of the Hong Kong Institute of Certified Public Accountants.

Peter joined the CDC’s Executive Committee in 2021. He is a solicitor at the Hong Kong High Court and has served as a board member of financial companies. Peter views the CDC as a place that families can trust and turn to when they are seeking advice, guidance and help for their child with additional learning needs. He believes that, in our society where children are measured by their portfolios and achievements from a young age, the CDC stands out as an organisation that nurtures children along their unique learning path, helping them to flourish to be the best versions of themselves.

Having spent most of her life in Hong Kong, Joanne owns a sense of responsibility when it comes to providing Hong Kong-based children and young people the path to a brighter future. Her passion to contribute to children with additional learning needs has grown after having encountered the CDC.

Joanne holds a MSc in Financial Management from the University of London. With over 20 years of experience in Fintech, intellectual property and consultancy services in Asia Pacific, she has held leading positions in regional capacity in a number of multinational companies. She is also a committee Vice-Chair and voting member at the YWCA Hong Kong, responsible for social business and Y-Hospitality management.

Jackie is passionate about special needs education. She joined the CDC’s Executive Committee in 2015 believing that the importance of special needs education should be more recognised within the Hong Kong education system. With a background in education, Jackie’s goal is to learn, contribute and give back to the community. Jackie has a Bachelor’s of Arts in Psychology from Yale University and she received her Master of Education from the University of Hong Kong. Through her work with the Executive Committee she hopes she can play a part in helping children with additional needs to overcome their challenges through early intervention.

Henson has been a CDC Executive Committee Member since 2004. He is a practicing solicitor and partner of a local Hong Kong law firm. Henson is a member of the Hong Kong Law Society Standing Committee on Compliance and also a member of the Hong Kong Law Society Consents Committee. Henson has been contributing his expertise and supporting CDC’s continued growth for over 10 years.

Cruzanne was born and raised in Hong Kong. While completing her master’s degree in scriptwriting in New Zealand, she also worked as a caregiver for people with multiple severe disabilities. The arrival of her daughter, who was born with dwarfism, sharpened her passion for combating ableism in society. She believes that Hong Kong has the potential to be world-class in advocacy and support for people with additional needs, and their families. Cruzanne views the CDC, which represents a sense of positivity and embraces diversity, as an example of how that can be possible.

Cruzanne is a regular contributor for RTHK Radio 3 and Creative Director at The Quick Word Company. She was a Mentor for the Resolve Foundation 2020 Fellowship.

Abigail obtained a BSC Honours degree in Management Studies in the UK and was a Parent Representative on the CDC Executive Committee from 2017 until 2019. Motivated by a desire to be ‘as involved as I can be as a parent’ and to ‘give back’, Abigail sees the CDC as having had a significant impact on her own son’s educational development. she views CDC’s teaching staff as being inclusive, insightful and always accessible.

Trina moved to Hong Kong from India about a decade ago. She understands that when children are diagnosed with various additional learning needs, their parents can find it daunting, isolating, and face a rollercoaster of emotions. Trina believes the CDC, with its complete focus on early intervention and children’s needs, is a crucial support system for her own family and many others.

As the parent representative on the CDC Executive Committee, she is keen to communicate her ideas with board members and share useful information with families with diverse needs.