Joanne has been active in Soroptimism since 1998, having served as President of the Soroptimist International Region of Malaysia, President of her Club, Soroptimist International Club of Damansara (SI Damansara) and National Representative of Malaysia with Federation of the South West Pacific. She was also the Federation Assistant Extension Convenor Asia (2020–2022) and is currently a Board Director and President Elect of SI South East Asia Pacific.
Joanne is currently the project lead for SI Region of Malaysia’s “Clean Water and Sustainable Food Security for Rural Communities” project. She also served as the Logistics and Protocol Local Chair for the SI Convention Kuala Lumpur in 2019.
Joanne’s professional background in investment banking, public relations and investor relations is firmly entrenched in training. Her passion and interest have always been in the area of education with a focus of helping financially and emotionally challenged youths and children to help realise their potential. Literacy, self-development and skills training are some of the areas that have been the forefront of her work in empowering and capacity building.
She is currently the President of the YWCA of Kuala Lumpur, a member of a worldwide YWCA movement working for the empowerment, leadership and rights of women, young women and girls. Also as the Chair and Board Governor of the YWCA Vocational Training Opportunity Centre, she is involved in providing much needed skills training for underprivileged young women and girls from economically disadvantaged families.