Hong Kong’s Women’s Foundation seeks new CEO, with Su-Mei Thompson to step down after eight years as its head

The Women’s Foundation is seeking a new chief executive officer, with Su-Mei Thompson to step down as CEO in September after eight years in the role. The board of governors of the foundation, a charity dedicated to improving the lives of women and girls in Hong Kong, announced her departure on Wednesday and said the search for her successor was under way.

Thompson says she is leaving Hong Kong to start a new role as CEO of Media Trust, a UK-based organisation that connects charities with the media. “With TWF now well positioned to continue its strong growth, I believe this is the right time to make way for a new leader and for me to pursue new career opportunities,” she says.

“Leaving TWF will be a tremendous wrench and I will miss our fantastic staff, board members, NGO and academic partners, corporate sponsors, steering committee members, volunteers, supporters and donors, who are fuelled by a common mission: to provide brighter prospects for women and girls in Hong Kong and to meaningfully engage men and boys in these efforts.

“While I am sad to be leaving, I take comfort in the knowledge that because TWF is such a special, stimulating and supportive place to work and given our impact, reach and reputation, there will be no shortage of excellent candidates to take my place.”

Thompson grew up in Malaysia and studied at private boarding school The Cheltenham Ladies College in Britain before reading law at Cambridge and Oxford universities. She began her career as a lawyer and moved to Hong Kong in 1993. She held senior management positions at The Walt Disney Company, the Financial Times and Christie’s before joining the foundation in 2009 after having children and taking a year out from her career that she described as her “eureka moment”. During her time away from a desk, she said, she realised the prejudices women can face, and how Hong Kong is lagging behind when it comes to gender equality.