Key Personnel
(as of March 2024)
Executive Director
Mr Subrata Banerjee has been working in Singapore’s social service and long-term care sectors for more than 30 years. He spent his initial years as an Occupational Therapist supporting children with special needs before expanding his practice in order to serve the needs of adults with physical disabilities as well.
Mr Banerjee has been working at the Handicaps Welfare Association (HWA) since 1997. He was appointed as the Executive Director of HWA in 2011. Supported by dedicated staff members and passionate Executive Committee, Mr Banerjee has led HWA’s major transformation throughout the past decade, and has successfully positioned HWA as a reputable long-term care service provider for people with disabilities and older adults in Singapore.
Apart from his professional qualification as a registered Occupational Therapist, Mr Banerjee has a Graduate Diploma in Business Administration from The Singapore Institute of Management and a Master's Degree in Health Services Management from Curtin University, Australia.
Corporate Services Department
Administration & Human Resource
Ms. Joyce Wang has been working at HWA since Nov 2007 and currently oversees Human Resource and Administrative functions as Manager.
Passionate about helping vulnerable groups and being a people-oriented person, Joyce joined the Social Service sector in 2007 with HWA and finds her experience rewarding and enriching. She started her journey as an Assistant Executive to assist the Executive Director in HR functions, eg recruitment, training, etc. She was promoted to Manager (HR/Admin) in 2018 and oversees full aspects of the Association’s admin and human resources management & people practices.
She holds a Bachelor's Degree in Business Study and a Diploma in Human Resource Management.
Finance and Fundraising
Mr. Jones Pung Teck Huat joined HWA in 2015 managing the Fundraising function. He subsequently heads the Finance function as well.
Prior to joining the Social Service Sector, Jones has more than 20 years of working experience in the Financial Sector having accumulated responsibilities in Operation Management, Credit Management, Credit Approval, Process Management and Customer Service. Jones made a career switch to the Social Service Sector more than 13 years ago when he first joined National Council of Social Service having responsibilities in Policy Review, Programmes & Funds Administration, Donors Management and Fundraising.
He is a member of the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA), UK, and holds a Master of Social Work from Singapore University of Social Sciences, and a Master of Science (Information Studies) from Nanyang Technological University. He was awarded the degree of Bachelor of Science (Economics) in Economics and Management in 1993 from the University of London.
Information Technology
Mr Rjay has been working at HWA since April 2011 and currently manages IT systems and infrastructure of the organisation and oversees data protection policies.
He started his a career as Technical Support Specialist for an American web hosting company and then went into teaching IT courses for Informatics International College. Always keen to help and active in charity work since his college years, he found his passion working with HWA and serving persons who are physically challenged.
He holds a Bachelor's Degree in Information Systems and a Diploma in Mulitmedia
Corporate Communications
Ms. Airene Tan has over 16 years of working experience across various sectors, such as Real Estate Association, Engineering Institution, Social Services Sector, and Recreational Clubhouse. She began her career at HWA 20 years ago and re-joined HWA two decades later with an expanded portfolio.
During the former stages of her career, she managed networking sessions, international conferences, community programs, events, as well as facility and operations work. These experiences exposed her to the realms of Digital Media and Communications. Currently, at HWA, she curates content with designs, oversees social media, and employs digital media strategies to facilitate internal and external communications, upholding the organisation's brand image. She hopes to make a positive impact on people through her work.
She holds a Professional Diploma in Digital Marketing and a Diploma in Theatre Studies. This combination of academic qualifications equipped her with the skills in storytelling, content creation, and relationship building.
Core Services Department
Rehabilitation (Whampoa)
Mr. Ponnusamy Kathirvel is the Centre Manager of HWA Whampoa Rehabilitation Centre since 2020.
He joined HWA as an Occupational Therapist in May 2009 to serve the needs of adults with physical disabilities in Singapore’s long-term care sector spanning more than 15 years.He is passionate to contribute to the social service sector to help people with physical disabilities access HWA's rehabilitation services better.
Kathirvel holds a Bachelor as an Occupational therapist (B.O.T) and is a fully-registered therapist in Allied Health professional council Singapore.
Rehabilitation (Jurong)
Mr Duraisamy Ramesh is the Centre Manager of HWA Jurong Rehabilitation Centre since 2017. He joined Handicaps Welfare Association (HWA) in 2010.
He has been working as a qualified physiotherapist for more than 18 years in various settings including acute hospitals and long-term care sectors.Mr Ramesh plays an important role in HWA’s rehabilitation care experience for the physically-challenged and elderly population, elevating the centre's operating standards.
Mr Ramesh holds a Master degree specializing in Advanced Physiotherapy in Cardio-Respiratory Diseases, Post Graduate Diploma in Geriatric Care, Hospital Management and Sociology of Health. He is also a Certified Yoga Instructor.
He also holds various professional memberships including ACSM Certified Clinical Exercise Physiologist, NDT therapist practitioners, etc.
Transport
Mr. Simon Ching has been working at HWA since 2010 and oversees the Transport Service function as Transport Senior Manager.
Simon started his career as a regular in the Singapore Arm Forces from 1985 to 1991. He subsequently left the Army, worked as a logistic Manager from 1991 to 1993 while doing a part-time study and obtained a Diploma in Air Cargo Studies (IATA/FIATA). He then started his own Transport Company supporting freight forwarders in import/export and transportation in the air cargo industry.He also had some experience working as Sales manager in the food industry (Hotel). Simon was a driving instructor between 2002 – 2009 before he joined HWA. He also attained his Professional Diploma in Human Resource in year 2015.
During his years of services in HWA, he was given the opportunity to be trained in The University of Sydney, Australia in “Driver Rehabilitation Training for Driving Instructors” as well as Guidosimplex, Rome (Italy) in “Training and Instruction course covering the installation, service and repair of driving devices for disabled people”.
Home Care Services
Ms. Gan Chi Ching is a healthcare professional with over 27 years of experience, specializing in nursing. She earned a Bachelor of Health Science in Nursing from Curtin University, Australia, in 2006. Throughout her career, Ms. Gan has received multiple accolades, including the MOH Special COVID-19 Recognition Award, the NUHS CPIP Award in 2018, and the NUH Way Quest Recognition Award in 2007. She was also recognised as the second-highest-ranking student in her cohort for the Advanced Diploma in Operating
Ms. Gan's extensive experience encompasses various roles, including her current position as Home Care Service Manager at HWA, which she has held since 2022. Prior to this, she served as a Health Coach and Smoking Cessation Consultant at HPB from 2019 to 2021, a Senior Case Manager at Asthma EMD from 2011 to 2019, and a Senior Respiratory Nurse at NUH from 2007 to 2009. Her expertise and dedication continue to significantly benefit the care of HWA's beneficiaries.
Support Services Department
Social Services
Ms. Angela Zhang has been working at HWA since 2007. She currently oversees Social Service department which includes Membership function and Case Management for Transport function.
She holds a Bachelor of Science in Psychology from University of Southern Queensland, Australia with Dean’s Commendation for Outstanding Achievement. In addition, she completed her Graduate Diploma in Social Work at the Singapore University of Social Sciences (SUSS) in 2015. She also holds the Certificate in Counselling Skills from Counselling & Care Centre, Singapore.
Angela joined HWA as a Welfare Executive in the Social Service department. She has been transferred to other departments to gain diverse experience over the years. She was recognised as the head of Social Service department in 2018 after obtaining her accreditation as a registered social worker. (Accredited by Social Work Accreditation and Advisory Board, Singapore).