10th March 2022 – (Hong Kong) Multiple staff members of the Hong Kong Society for the Protection of Children (HKSPC) were arrested for child abuse. As a key piece in its plan to reform and reshape organisational culture to improve the care of children, the HKSPC announced yesterday the appointment of Ms Subrina Chow, a former Administrative Officer of 25 years with the HKSAR government, as Senior Deputy Director (Change Management) with immediate effect. Subrina is tasked, inter alia, to drive change to refresh the Society and take forward recommendations for reform, as well as strengthening internal control, human resources management, child safeguarding, complaints handling and whistleblowing in the Society, so as to move it to the next level and front edge.
Prior to her formal appointment, Subrina has been volunteering at the Society. ‘I am grateful for the opportunity to familiarize with, and serve, the Society as a volunteer over the past month. I am deeply touched and impressed by the care and service provided by the Society to those in need and excited I can help shape and be part of its future,’ said Subrina.
‘We are delighted to welcome Subrina at the helm of the Society’s Management. Given her passion and rich, relevant experience, Subrina will enhance our bench strength and lead the Society’s reform,’ said Robin Hammond, Chairman, Exco, HKSPC.
‘For over 95 years, HKSPC has been faithfully serving thousands of underprivileged children and families through its quality child care, education, social work and professional rehabilitation services. We look forward to keeping children healthy, happy and safe,’ continued Robin.
Subrina Chow was an Administrative Officer (AO) in the Hong Kong Civil Service for over 25 years, with experience in public policy and funding proposal formulation, program design and assessment, project management, public relations and event organization. She held 10 different positions in policy areas spanning civil service management, education, district administration, international trade relations and investment promotion, IT industry and e-government development, social welfare and labour affairs. In her last government assignment, she was the Assistant Director of Administration in the Chief Secretary for Administration’s Office, overseeing the Government’s liaison with the Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC) and the Ombudsman, as well as the administration of the Justices of the Peace system.
Subrina spent over a decade of her AO career overseas. From 2008 to 2011, she was Director of the Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office in Singapore. Her mission then was to enhance understanding and strengthen the economic relations between Hong Kong and the 10 member states of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). From 2013 to 2016, she was Director of the Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office in San Francisco, and led the efforts in bringing investments into Hong Kong from the 19 states in the western part of the United States. (She was also Deputy Director of the same office from 1998 to 2001.)
Subrina worked twice in the former Education and Manpower Bureau. She was first involved in 1995 to 1997 in the drafting of a piece of legislation aimed at regulating the higher education and professional training courses conducted in Hong Kong by overseas and Mainland institutions. In 2002 to 2003, she was Secretary to the Standing Committee on Language Education and Research (SCOLAR), and completed a major review of language education policy that covers pre-primary up to post-secondary education and training of working adults.
Subrina gained exposure to the policy areas of social security, welfare and rehabilitation services, manpower development and labour affairs when she served as Administrative Assistant to the Secretary for Labour and Welfare in 2007 to 2008.
Before joining the Government, Subrina worked briefly with World Vision Hong Kong as a project officer in its Christian drug rehabilitation service and helped to set up a new residential home for young women. She resigned from the Government in 2021 to join UNICEF Hong Kong as its Executive Director.
Ms. Chow received her Bachelor of Science degree in Human Development and Family Studies from Cornell University. She is married and has two daughters. (Ends)
