Our people

Gabrielle Kirstein is the Chief Executive Officer and driving force behind Feeding Hong Kong which she founded in response to her growing awareness of the amount of food that was being wasted. After spending 2 years connecting bakeries with local shelters she quit her corporate career in communications and events, and in 2011 set up Hong Kong’s first surplus Food Bank, with a mission to fight hunger and reduce the amount of quality food being sent to the city’s landfills.

Prior to launching Feeding Hong Kong, Gabrielle earned an MSc in Developmental Studies from the School of Oriental and African Studies. Her passion for waste reduction led her to Redress, an environmental NGO working to reduce waste in the fashion industry. She first became involved as a volunteer, and later as a Board Director. One of her achievements at Redress is being co-founder of the Redress Design Award, Redress’ flagship programme. Whilst there she also became involved with a food waste project which paved the way to Feeding Hong Kong.

Gabrielle has a long history of volunteering and community service, a trait instilled by her parents from a very early age. From spending many a Christmas Day as a child in Manchester helping out in the kitchen of a homeless hostel, to bridging the gap between food waste and hunger in Hong Kong, her passion to make the world a better place has always been a driving force. Under her leadership Feeding Hong Kong has not only made a significant impact on food insecurity and waste in Hong Kong, but has also made great steps in raising awareness of the issues.

When not fighting against hunger and waste in Hong Kong, Gabrielle loves spending her time exploring and hiking in Hong Kong’s hills, what better way to exercise the body and feed the soul.

Edmond is Feeding Hong Kong’s Project Directors who manages jointly with others our airport and retail programmes. His extensive role covers monitoring operational cost, inventory systems, development and festive food parcels, as well as overseeing food donations and food donor relations in the Food Bank.

Prior to joining Feeding Hong Kong, Edmond specialised in airline catering equipment development, inventory management, operational control and logistics. With a strong interest in sustainability, he was responsible for driving much needed inflight waste recycling initiatives and fuel savings. He is passionate about reducing food wastage and has strived to make it an integral part of his career.

Unsurprisingly, Edmond enjoys cooking and he can be found at home every weekend preparing delicious homely food that is simple but tasty, such as bean curd rolls, beef with shredded potatoes and Cantonese style stir fried rice noodles. These are his all-time favourite recipes from his mother.

Connie Shuen is Feeding Hong Kong’s Charities Director who is responsible for managing an extensive network of charity partners across Hong Kong. One of her key duties, which is vital to the organisation’s survival, is directing food donations that flow through Feeding Hong Kong warehouse to where they can make the greatest difference.

Connie has extensive experience in working with NGOs. Prior to joining Feeding Hong Kong, she used to hold managerial positions in various renowned local and international NGOs in Hong Kong and China, including Mother’s Choice, Unicef Hong Kong and World Vision China. Connie is also a Certified Public Accountant who worked in the banking industry in Hong Kong in her previous life. We believe her talents are put to far better use at Feeding Hong Kong where her efforts truly benefit those in need.

Connie is committed and passionate about building a fairer, better world through knowledge, empathy and action. Apart from engaging in the job of poverty relief, she has been trained and has supported community works in the hospice counselling areas. Outside of work, Connie enjoys reading, hiking through Hong Kong’s wonderful countryside and using yoga to help keep her life in balance.

Janet is Feeding Hong Kong’s Finance Manager. She joined Feeding Hong Kong in June 2019 and was instrumental in helping take Feeding Hong Kong’s finance processes and management to the next level. With 8 years of accounting and financing experience, CPA certification and a Master of Not-for-profit and Social Enterprise Management degree, Janet was more than qualified for this new role.

Prior to joining us at Feeding Hong Kong, Janet had extensive international experience in both the logistics industry in Australia and the not-for-profit sector in the UK. These insights across different sectors and cultures superbly placed Janet for the work she does at Feeding Hong Kong.

Janet’s drive for continuous improvement and her ability to manage changes make her a valuable member of the Feeding Hong Kong team and allow her to fit perfectly with the organisation’s ongoing investment in process and system development. Her willingness to learn new skills, strong grasp of technology, and experience in staff training makes her a true asset to a growing organisation.

In her spare time, Janet likes to meet with her friends and have a good chat with them about the environment, food waste and everything else. Having learnt to appreciate the joys of coffee whilst living in Australia, she now gets great pleasure from making a good cup of coffee at home.

Mandy joined Feeding Hong Kong in 2014 as Office Administrator and quickly proved to be a valuable asset to the team. As a result of her consistent hard work, creative ideas and commitment to our mission, within a year Mandy was promoted to Office Manager. As her role in the organisation grew, so did Mandy’s desire and need to further develop her skills, knowledge and experience. To meet these new demands, Mandy completed a Professional Certificate in Human Resources Management which in turn led directly to a well-earned promotion to Office and Human Resources Manager in 2019. Mandy now manages the office and office systems, delivers Human Resources support services including developing and implementing Human Resources strategies and initiatives aligned with the overall business strategy, as well as managing the recruitment and selection process.

Prior to joining the Feeding Hong Kong team, Mandy worked in the office & administrative field for 2 years. She is very happy to be now working in a job that gives her a real sense of purpose and has devoted herself to working at Feeding Hong Kong as she believes bridging the gap between food and hunger can truly impact people’s lives for the better. She enjoys working with like-minded people who committed to fighting food waste and helping people in need.

Mandy has always been very interested in movies, drawing, nature, and travelling. She also loves taking photos and making videos, capturing every special moment and creating beautiful memories.

Joyce joined the Feeding Hong Kong team in December 2019 as Volunteer & Education Coordinator, handling the large number of wonderful volunteers coming through our doors every week, and educating the public on Feeding Hong Kong’s mission and related issues.

While studying Marketing at University, Joyce worked as an intern in various industries. During this time, she gained valuable working experience and was given the opportunity to polish her presentation and communication skills. After graduating with a Bachelor’s Degree, Joyce worked as Account Executive, a role which further honed the skills needed for facing clients and coordinating parties engaged in a project.

Joyce’s role at Feeding Hong Kong suits her perfectly as she enjoys meeting and spending time with different people. She is also passionate about contributing to the community she was born and raised in and working hard to help Feeding Hong Kong bridge the gap between hunger and food waste.

During spare time, Joyce likes to bake, watch movies and animations, and go to the gym. She is also a keen photographer, which helps her look for and see the beauty in life.

Thomas joined Feeding Hong Kong in August 2019 as Food Sourcing Manager. He spends a significant amount of his time developing relationships with Hong Kong’s food industry, a job that continues to inspire him greatly and gives him a sense of purpose in both his work and his life.

Originally from Switzerland, Thomas started out as a Chef’s Apprenticeship at the young age of 15. Following the compulsory army service, where he served as a Chef, he decided to study hotel management at L’École Hôtelière de Lausanne in Switzerland.

After graduation, he gained wide experience in various junior food and beverage roles in Europe. With this experience, he afterwards ventured into hospitality sales and marketing in Europe and Asia, then he moved to Hong Kong in 2005. After almost a decade as a successful entrepreneur, he made the decision to dedicate more of his time to helping those in need as a volunteer, a move that also led him into meeting his wife Jean. Thomas is very thankful to be able to serve the community and do his part to bridge the gap between food and hunger in Hong Kong.

Outside of work, Thomas’s hobbies include relaxing to Classical Music, enjoying the pleasures of contemporary art and architecture, as well as travelling to new places.

Carol’s history with Feeding Hong Kong started in 2014 when she joined the team as an intern helping with daily operations in the warehouse. As she worked with us, her knowledge of both environmental and food waste issues grew and along with it her passion and concern for the said issues. For this reason, she decided to stay with Feeding Hong Kong as a volunteer during her time at university.

After graduating with a Bachelor’s degree, she officially joined Feeding Hong Kong in July 2019 as Food Sourcing Assistant, handling surplus donation enquiries and coordinating donations. An added bonus for Feeding Hong Kong is that because of her long history with us as a volunteer, she is very familiar with our operations and plays an important role in the development of database system and operation management. From an intern to a full time staff member, Carol never fails to amaze us with her enthusiasm and dedication. She considers herself very lucky to be in a job she feels passionate about and enjoys coming to work every day.

In her leisure time, Carol enjoys reading, particularly novels. She makes time to pick up and book and read every day as she finds it helpful to relax and set her mind at ease.

Fai joined Feeding Hong Kong as Operations Assistant in 2014 and quickly established a reputation as a dedicated and diligent member of the team. He especially excelled in service delivery, endearing him not just to the rest of the team but also to our network of charity partners.

In March 2019, Fai earned a well-deserved promotion to Operations Manager. This key managerial role increased his responsibilities across warehouse and fleet management. He has brought the same level of commitment and dedication to this role as to his others, and, just as importantly, the same willingness to learn. His next personal and professional goal is to build on his communication skills so that he can deal with a wider range of stakeholders, and to learn techniques for resolving disputes and motivating the team.

Fai worked for over 20 years in the logistics industry with a particular focus on customer service, resource planning and cost management. Prior to joining Feeding Hong Kong, he managed his own transportation company, giving him valuable experience across many areas of the industry. Fai is a great asset to Feeding Hong Kong and has a positive influence on the rest of the team.

Fai also has a very artistic side and possesses a certain level of painting and drawing skills, since he dreamed of being a comic book artist in his youth. Whilst that may not have been the path he ultimately chose, he still gets great pleasure from drawing. The greatest pleasure in his life however is spending time with his wife and family whom he treasures above all else in life.

Kei joined Feeding Hong Kong as Operations Assistant in 2017. Prior to joining Feeding Hong Kong, Kei worked in the logistics industry, the skills and experience he gained there have made him a valuable addition to the Operations Team. Kei has consistently demonstrated a great work ethic and shown integrity when dealing with his colleagues and clients, as a result of which he was promoted to Operations Supervisor in 2019.

Kei supports the day-to-day operations of the Feeding Hong Kong Food Bank, ensuring the food is received, stored and distributed safely, quickly and accurately. This is an important aspect of our process which contributes to the effective flow of surplus from Feeding Hong Kong to local charities.

Kei is a very keen darts player and takes his hobby very seriously, practicing every week and joining local darts competitions. He sees all competitive situations as opportunities to learn, improve and continue to aim for bigger goals.