Leadership and Board - Christina Noble Children's Foundation

Fiona Geoghegan

Fiona has worked for Christina Noble Children’s Foundation for thirteen years. During this time she has worked in the UK office where she has organised various fundraising events and been the point of contact for fundraisers, and volunteers.

Before taking on the Office Manager role five years ago, Fiona was the Child Sponsorship administrator. Fiona has travelled to Vietnam on many occasions and spent two summers in Mongolia where she worked on the finish line to greet the participants of the Mongol Rally.

The Mongol rally is an annual event, which sees teams drive from the UK to Mongolia and raise money for charity, CNCF were a beneficiary charity for over 6 years Prior to working for the Foundation Fiona worked for 15 years in the travel industry.

Batbayar is 14 years old and the oldest brother to his siblings with his youngest brother only 8 months old, they were abandoned by their father and looked after by their single mother. Their living conditions in destitute and transient housing for most of the children’s young lives have caused significant physical and mental impacts on this young family. Batbayar is in year 9 and loves going to school along with his siblings but the unstable housing conditions make it extremely hard for him to maintain his studies. Batbayar and his family have been renting a dilapidated Ger for 6 years, finding minimal shelter from the harsh elements but the owner of the Ger now wants the property back forcing the family to live on the streets. Batbayar’s mother has pleaded for the owner to wait until after the harsh winter season has passed as they have nowhere else to go. Batbayar’s mother is unable to find stable work due to low skills, no qualifications. The total family income each month is $101 USD which is not enough to cover the families basic necessities let alone a new home.

What is CNCF’s Give A Ger Programme and how will it transform this family’s life?

The Give-a-Ger Programme was established in Mongolia by Christina Noble in 2001 to provide children and families living in horrifying circumstances new beautiful traditional Mongolian Ger homes to live in. In Ulaanbaatar, the coldest capital city in the world, with temperatures regularly reaching -30 C and -40 C, having a place of shelter from the elements is essential for survival but people living in extreme poverty have no choice but to find shelter under cold stairwells, dilapidated wooden coal sheds, or in run-down damaged gers. For many vulnerable people living in these harsh conditions, having the warmth and security of a home is just a dream but together, we can make this a reality.

With your help, Batbayar’s family will receive a sustainable, enduring, highest quality five-wall ger with a full set of furniture including sofas with expandable beds, table/desk, chairs, kitchen unit, wardrobe, drawers and a ger stove used for both cooking and for keeping the family warm. We purchase all of our gers from a well-known and reputable Mongolian company that uses only the best quality wood and insulating felt on the market. With your help, CNCF can support Batbayar’s family by providing them with a warm, comfortable and stable home out of the harsh winter cold this Christmas. By providing a home you not only provide safety and shelter but stability for the children to continue their education, better conditions for the health of the family and a beautiful home they so desperately need and truly deserve.

*Names and identities of those featured have been changed for Child Protection.

Please help us to reach our goal of $3,800 USD to support Batbayar and his family this Christmas,
YOU can be a part of transforming this family’s life.

John Nguyen

Director

John Nguyen is a Data Scientist consultant and has been working in Finance and Banking with some of Australia’s largest corporations such as Commonwealth Bank of Australia,
Ernst & Young over the last 15 years.

John has a Bachelor’s degree in Commerce from UNSW majoring in Actuarial Studies and Computer Science and is a member of the Vietnamese community in Sydney. John is experienced in organising events and has operated multiple
businesses. He is passionate about encouraging Vietnamese community leaders and influencers to bring relevance and impact to disadvantaged Vietnamese children.
John was
appointed Director of the CNCF Australia Board in October 2019.

Angus Knoblanche

Finance Director

Angus is a Chartered Accountant who works as an Executive at Macquarie Group. Prior to this, he worked in audit at EY where
he was involved with developing the Sydney Foundation’s strategic initiatives to increase staff engagement. Angus has a strong belief in providing all children with equal opportunities and is passionate about removing obstacles that limit their ability to
develop to their full potential. He has spent time in Asia serving disadvantaged communities and has witnessed the transformative benefits of high-quality, long-term international development programs. Angus has experience in advising clients and building
control frameworks. Angus was
appointed Finance Director of the CNCF Australia Board in November 2019.

Greg Sugars

Director

Greg Sugars is the CEO of Preston Rowe Paterson Australasia, one of Australia’s and New Zealand’s
most experienced and well-regarded property services companies with expertise across the full spectrum of property classes. Greg
has been involved with the valuation industry since 1989. He has been at the forefront of the valuation industry aggregation and technological advances, firstly as the founding CEO of Opteon and more recently with Preston Rowe Paterson. Greg
is a proficient public speaker and has given many talks on the property sector around Australia.

Greg has always been a keen supporter of the Non Profit Sector and has served on numerous Boards
over 30 years. These include charities with a direct focus on youth homelessness and with educational and jobs programmes for the disadvantaged. Greg
was a Rotarian for over 30 years and was awarded a Paul Harris Fellowship in recognition of his community work in 2013. In
2015, Greg was awarded a Medal of The Order of Australia for his services to the community. Greg
currently serves as a Board Member of Carrum Downs Financial Services (the holder of a Bendigo Community Bank franchise) and as a Director of The Peninsula School (A private grammar school in Melbourne). Greg was
appointed Director of the CNCF Australia Board in November 2019.

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Now we would like to ask you a few more questions to better understand you and what you want out of your volunteering experience with us in Vietnam. This shouldn't take more than 15 minutes.
So, what are your motivations to volunteer at the Christina Noble Children's Foundation?
Are you prepared to work with under privileged children and children with a disability?
Do you have any concerns or doubts about this?
While working in our centre, it is completely natural to build a close rapport with the children, often one in particular. How do you propose to spread your attention evenly between all the children as well as manage the impact on the children upon your departure from Vietnam?
Do you have any experience working in a similar role? Please briefly outline below.
The minimum volunteering commitment is usually 2 months with some exceptions. This is both for the benefit of the children and volunteers. What are your thoughts about this time commitment?
Volunteers are required to work particular hours and stick to a regular schedule with a variety of responsibilities involving the children in our Centre. They should also fill in forms for daily and monthly reports. What are your thoughts about this?
Do you prefer to work in a team or in autonomy? Please give your reasons why below.
Medical practices in Vietnam differ from those seen in more developed countries. How would you react if you saw that the treatment for scabies or lice (for example) was not the same as in your own country?
What is your expectation of the medical techniques and hygiene in Vietnam and those in the medical centre at the Foundation?
The medical centre is fully staffed by Vietnamese nationals. In the centre, volunteers work as a team alongside Vietnamese people. How would you approach building rapport with the Vietnamese staff?
The dress standards in Vietnam are quite conservative. The country's climate is also tropical and as such is very humid. It is expected that dress is modest and respectful to the culture in Vietnam. How do you think this may be an issue and how would you overcome it?
Vietnam is a developing country and as such is very different from countries in the developed world. Vietnamese culture is quite traditional and very different from others. Are you prepared to adapt to this change in your way of life? How do you plan to adapt and learn about the culture?
What problems would you envisage experiencing in Vietnam and how would you overcome them?
Do you have any further comments you would like to share with us?
Finally, have you read the volunteer handbook and agreed to the terms?*
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Mr. Nguyen Huu Nghia

Mr. Nguyen Huu Nghia holds a Master of Business Administration and a Bachelor of Finance and Accounting and is the Chief Accountant and Vice Director of CNCF Vietnam. He has been serving the Foundation for more than ten years and now plays the role as head supervisor, managing the financial aspects of all CNCF Vietnam projects and office operational activities. Mr. Nghia is also head of CNCF’s capital projects which executes the building and equipping of kindergartens and water tanks and manages the human resources of CNCF Vietnam.

Marianne Tarpin-Lyonnet

Marianne a toujours été passionnée par l’humanitaire et a étudié les Sciences Humaines. Après avoir été diplôméee en Histoire de l’Art, Egyptologie et communication, elle a travaillé pour des institutions françaises avant de rejoindre CNCF en 2016 comme Chargée de Communication et Fundraising.

Caroline Faraud

En janvier 2010, Caroline a rejoint CNCF en tant que bénévole pour devenir administratrice, après une carrière réussie de paysagiste et un DEUG de Biologie-Géologie. Puis, Caroline est devenue responsable du bureau France et trésorière.

Karine Dalle

Cadre supérieur en marketing avec plus de 18 ans d’expérience dans la vente de stratégies de marketing ciblées pour les produits PGC et de divertissement, Karine a fait ses preuves en augmentant sa part de marché, les ventes et profits, grâce à une forte concentration des consommateurs/acheteurs, à une réflexion et une recherche sur la stratégique et les résultats : lancement de produits et de campagnes ciblant à la fois les grands groupes de consommateurs et les créneaux, des campagnes intégrées et optimisées dans plusieurs fonctions, y compris l’emballage et la création en magasin, le numérique, la publicité, les médias et les promotions. Karine a une solide éthique de travail fondée sur l’engagement personnel, l’intégrité et le travail d’équipe.

Eric Fiat

Eric a rejoint CNCF en 2016, après avoir travaillé 40 ans dans le Tourisme et l’Hôtellerie.

Durant les 20 premières années de sa carrière, Eric a été responsable des ventes, puis Directeur des Ventes et du Marketing de nombreuses compagnies hôtellières comme Meridian, Hilton, Holiday Inn et George V à Paris, puis Responsable Général de Western France. Puis les 20 années suivantes, Eric a créé sa compagnie de consulting pour les hotels individuels de première classe, les compagnies d’hôtels de 4 et 5* et DMC, et un Office de Tourisme national européen, se spécialisant dans les destinations de l’Océan Indien, du Moyen-Orient et de l’Extrême-Orient.

Furio Ceciliato

Furio Ceciliato is the founder of Origamo, the number one brand for handmade greeting cards in Italy. Furio developed a deep connection with Vietnam and the Vietnamese people over the years and it felt natural for him to decide to get involved and promote fundraising for the Foundation in Italy.

Olivia Hearn

Olivia joined CNCF full-time after two months volunteering with the children at CNCF’s flagship project, the Sunshine Social and Medical Centre, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. With over ten years of Marketing and Communications experience in London, UK, Olivia relocated to Vietnam to build and lead CNCF’s communications team out of the Foundation’s operations. Olivia is a passionate humanitarian who enjoys nothing more than being around the children and communicating the Foundation’s work.

Erica Aiello

Erica Aiello is the Administrator of Kingo srl – Origamo, the number one brand for handmade greeting cards in Italy. Mother of two children, Giovanni and Adriano, she heard of CNCF thanks to the movie “Noble” and, together with her husband, she met Christina in June 2017. This encounter touched her so much that she decided to get involved and support CNCF’s efforts, she later founded the CNCF Italy office.

Thomas Minter

Thomas Minter is the Director of Operations CNCF Mongolia, and is also Christina Noble’s eldest grandson. His background is in business and entrepreneurship, having successfully run his own organisations for fifteen years before being asked by Christina Noble to take the reins in Mongolia. Thomas has now been in Mongolia for four-and-a-half years, during which time the Foundation’s staff has more than doubled from thirty to sixty-five, and the number of community development programmes, working with the country’s most disadvantaged families, has increased from five to eleven.

Thomas, along with his mother and Foundation CEO Helenita Noble, sit on the Foundation’s International Board to ensure that Christina’s philosophy will always remain at the heart of, and forever continue to be the driving force of, the Christina Noble Children’s Foundation.

Tom was appointed Director of the CNCF International Board January 2018.

Louise Finlay

Louise Finlay first visited South East Asia when fresh out of university and was touched by many of the children she met as she traveled around the region. Determined to support some of these vulnerable children, she soon learnt of the great work being carried out by CNCF and is now excited to be on the Board to see how she can help to bring more children a happy and safe childhood with opportunities for the future. Louise is from the UK originally and moved to Hong Kong in 2005. Having held various senior positions in Sourcing, Marketing Services & Design companies, Louise is now the APAC Strategic Sourcing Director for HH Global. Louise lives in Hong Kong with her husband and two young children.

Gerard O’Donovan

Gerard O’Donovan is Head of the Faculty of Business and Humanities in Cork Institute of Technology (CIT) where he is responsible for the strategic direction, people management and operation of the Faculty. During his 16 years at CIT he has held a number of senior positions including Head of School of Business, Head of the Department of Accounting & Information Systems and founder of the Hincks Centre for Entrepreneurship Excellence. Prior to academia, his industry experience includes work in retail, human resources, IT and consultancy roles in Ireland and the USA. He holds a BComm (Hons) from University College Cork and an MBA from St. Joseph’s University, USA. Gerard serves on a number of advisory and foundation boards.

Simon Page

Simon Page is an accomplished sales, branding and sponsorship professional, with more than twenty-seven years of experience in the Asia Pacific region. Presently he works with VODXS LLC as Vice President for Asia Pacific, where he is responsible for introducing the world’s first patented digital display faucets to Asia and for managing all distribution and advertising sales. Prior to VODXS, Simon has held senior positions with numerous blue-chip corporations, including almost ten years as Head of Brand and Marketing for Asia with Barclays Banks, as well as advertising sales leadership roles at Fox Networks, BBC World News and Dow Jones, where he had a proven track record for building sustainable client relationships, generating compelling advertising solutions and growing sales revenues

Lesley-Anne K. Thadani

Lesley-Anne Thadani is a British expat who has been based in Hong Kong since 2010. She currently runs her own consultancy company and was previously a partner at KPMG. She has over 20 years of experience and has spent most of her career working with global financial services companies, helping them to implement large transformation programmes. She originally joined the Hong Kong Board in 2016 and then helped CNCF establish the International Board, serving on the International Board for a year. She now has returned to he r role on the Hong Kong fundraising board.

Michael Lonergan

Michael is a qualified Chartered Accountant from the UK and has spent the majority of his career working in Asia, principally in Hong Kong and the Philippines.

He has a wide ranging experience fulfilling the roles of CEO, COO and CFO for various public and private companies in the telecommunications and fund management industries.

Michael was appointed Director of Audit and Finance of the CNCF International Board in March 2018.

Mark Devadason

Mark Devadason has 30 years of international banking experience with a geographically diverse and broad based background covering areas such as corporate and private banking leadership roles, human resources, 8 years as a country CEO, corporate communications and 5 years as Group Head of Sustainability for international bank Standard Chartered.

Mark is currently Senior Advisor Asia of the San Francisco based Business for Social Responsibility (BSR.org). He also serves on the board of Hong Kong based NGO, the Mekong Club, which is committed to tackling human trafficking and modern slavery in the supply chain. He is also a member and serves on the Hong Kong Committee of the Australian Institute of Company Directors and the International Advisory Council of APCO Worldwide.

Mark was appointed Chair of the CNCF International Board in December 2017.

Trinh Son

Trinh has enjoyed a long carer with CNCF having joined the Foundation in 2000 as Head of the Child Sponsorship Programme. Trinh was then made Vice Director in 2003 and promoted to Director of Operations Vietnam in 2016 after the Foundation localised the position for the first time since inception. Trinh has given eighteen years of excellent service to CNCF and the beneficiaries in its care.
Alongside the responsibility of the organisation’s development, Trinh manages all external relationships and partnerships with Government authorities.

Trinh has a masters degree in International and Community Development – Deakin University, Melbourne.

Trinh was appointed Director of the CNCF International Board March 2018.

Warren Weener

Warren has worked for 25 years with multi-national companies holding various senior positions in Europe and Asia. These roles have provided Warren with an understanding of strategies, challenges of businesses, and key principles of team work, culture, personal and corporate motivation, particularly with regard to positive impact of CSR policies and implementation. Warren has been based between Hong Kong and Vietnam since 2013 as a Senior Executive with Li & Fung Hong Kong and holds a Bachelor Degree in Business.

Christina Noble

Christina Noble OBE, has, by her own effort and example and with an unselfish willingness to serve, shown the world that street children are a vital part of humanity – that the abuse and maltreatment suffered by children can be stopped. By providing love, and by giving back dignity to over 700,000 of these special children and their families in Mongolia and Vietnam, she has shown us that they can be empowered to fulfil their proper role in society. They can, and will be their countries’ future. Since 1991 Christina Noble and her Foundation have established over 150 projects/programmes in Vietnam and Mongolia. Today the work of the Foundation impacts the lives of over 20,000 children and their families annually.

Christina Noble

Christina Noble OBE, has, by her own effort and example and with an unselfish willingness to serve, shown the world that street children are a vital part of humanity – that the abuse and maltreatment suffered by children can be stopped. By providing love, and by giving back dignity to over 700,000 of these special children and their families in Mongolia and Vietnam, she has shown us that they can be empowered to fulfil their proper role in society. They can, and will be their countries’ future. Since 1991 Christina Noble and her Foundation have established over 150 projects/programmes in Vietnam and Mongolia. Today the work of the Foundation impacts the lives of over 20,000 children and their families annually.

Amaraa Bor

Amaraa has been working for the Christina Noble Children’s Foundation for 4 years. As a native Mongolian, who herself grew up in poverty in rural Mongolia, Amaraa deeply understands the challenges that face the children we support and the issues affecting her country. Amaraa is a highly capable, ambitious young woman who continuously strives for self-improvement and growth. She has a true humanitarian spirit and a heart filled with genuine love, understanding and compassion for all people. Through ongoing training and daily interactions with children and adults who have experienced severe trauma, Amaraa has developed an extensive knowledge about human psychology and how to truly support people who are In need. When Amaraa walks into our Blue Skies Ger Village children’s home, the smiles, love and happiness that surround her are testament to the beautiful person she is and the impact she has made on their lives.

Chris Mikosh

Chris is a partner and co-founder of Tor Investment Management, a Hong Kong based investment management business. Chris earned a dual degree BS in Finance and Computer Science/Management Information Systems from Boston College in 1994. He has lived and worked in HK since 2000, and is married with two lovely daughters. Chris became Chairman of the Board for CNCF-USA in 2012.

Karen Pocock

Founder and Chairman of Design by Appointment, her business clients are mostly based in the UAE.

Tom Ward

Tom’s background is accountancy and taxation, having studied at North London University and London School of Accountancy in the 1980’s. He is currently the Finance Director for a group of prestigious London based security companies and acts as Chairman to a London based Charitable Foundation. Tom also has various private business interests and investments.
Tom is the original signatory to the Articles of CNCF which he helped Christina incorporate in 1992. He re-joined the Board as Trustee and Chairman in 2002.”

Shane Bannerton

Shane Bannerton is Head of Corporate and Legal at United Trust Bank Limited (UTB), a London based private bank. He was previously Head of Finance at both UTB and Aldermore Bank Limited, and Finance Director at Ruffler Bank Plc. He is a Certified Accountant with many years experience in senior finance roles in banking, industry and professional sports. Shane has been a Trustee of Christina Noble Children’s Foundation UK since 2011.

Lady Beata Ogmore

Beata Ogmore’s background is in accounting and finance. She worked for Banham Patent Locks for a total of 17 years where she was the Financial Controller. She has now retired. Beata was invited onto the Board by Chairman, Tom Ward in 2011.

Kate Greer

Kate Greer’s background was in T.V.production, primarily for the BBC, where over the course of many years she had the privilege of working with major names across the music and drama industry. It was while working on a programme called, “This Is Your Life” that she met Christina Noble and became involved with the Foundation and invited to become a Trustee. She eventually worked as the senior administrator in the Foundation’s UK office finally retiring in 2017 but remains on the Board of Trustees.

Helenita Noble

Helenita is a passionate humanitarian and staunch advocate of children’s rights who has worked alongside her mother Founder Christina Noble in the field since 1996.

In January 2016, Helenita accepted the role of CEO to initiate organisation change to secure her mother and the family’s legacy and the long-term sustainability and security of the Foundation.

Helenita who is currently based in Vietnam led the creation and development of the new CNCF International Board of Directors which she is a Director of.

Greg Brutus

Brian Moss

Olivier Dang

Olivier Dang is the Global Chief Operating Officer for the Wholesale Digital Office of Nomura. He supports the development and implementation of the digital strategy of Nomura’s Wholesale business. Olivier has been at Nomura since 2010 and held various roles in Corporate Strategy and Business Management. Prior to this, he was a Management Consultant at McKinsey in London and he started his career as an entrepreneur building a mobile internet company in France. He holds a MSc in Telecommunications from Chalmers University of Technology, an engineering degree from the Institut Superieur d’Electronique de Paris and a M.B.A. from the London Business School.

Eileen O’Connell

Eileen has been involved with the Christina Noble Children’s Foundation in Hong Kong since 2007 when she first volunteered her time working with the Events team on the Dubai Rugby 7s. She then accepted the role of General Manager in early 2008 before moving back in to the commercial sector in August 2011.

She remains actively engaged with the Foundation as a Director on the Hong Kong fundraising board, continuing to maximise their opportunities for Corporate Social Development in the region.

Originally from an Irish family in the UK, Eileen moved to Hong Kong with Verizon at the end of 2003, and held a variety of regional roles with the company until March 2007. After 5 years of running BT’s APAC Collaboration business, Eileen joined EY’s Financial Services Organisation in 2017 as Alliance Leader for Asia Pacific. She is also the Global Client Executive with responsibility for managing EY’s relationship with the Hong Kong Exchange (HKEX).

A Permanent Resident of Hong Kong SAR, Eileen attempts to speak passable Cantonese, and has been involved in many local community initiatives in Hong Kong. Eileen is the Vice Chair of the Women in Business Committee for the British Chamber of Commerce, has a BSc in from Goldsmith’s College/London University, and is an Alumnus of the Hong Kong University Board Directorship programme 2014.

Sandy Burgess

Inspired by Christina Noble’s story, Sandra joined the Foundation in 2002 and is responsible for leading, organising and motivating a team of fellow volunteers to plan, promote and manage CNCF Hong Kong’s successful fundraising events portfolio.

Passionate about helping children in need, Sandra joined the Hong Kong fundraising board in 2008 and has collectively helped to raise over HK$12 million for CNCF.

Jean-Antoine Bouchez

Jean-Antoine helped to establish l’Association Christina Noble France in 1993 shortly after meeting and being inpisred by Christina Noble. Jean-Antoine previously enjoyed a career as an economics and finance editor and publisher which he still enjoys to this day.