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WHO WE ARE

Our Board


Our Dutch Board

René Mendel

Treasurer


For many years René was affiliated with the University of Amsterdam as a Social Pedagogue and has been the director of “Interakt” since 1989. Interakt develops websites, produces documentaries, DVDs, television programmes, books and exhibitions with a historical, cultural, educational or social angle.

Catherine Keyl

Board Member


Catherine has been a renowned talk show host on Dutch Television for more than twenty years. She regularly worked with Sallo, who was floor manager for her programmes. Today she writes columns for a leading Dutch newspaper and makes frequent appearances on TV.


Sallo Polak

Founder & Chairman


Previously a successful floor manager in the Dutch television industry, Sallo moved to Chiang Mai in 2006 to dedicate himself full-time to helping people in vulnerable situations. After working with NGOs in Thailand for a few years he developed the vision to support small, local organisations that are out of the mainstream, and thus to create PCF.


Rob Rijnders

Secretary


For many years Rob has worked in Europe and Asia for Unilever in various management positions. After that he has spent his time in the Thai family business of OSOTSPA and in the Dutch company Signature Foods. He is currently partner of a boutique consultancy firm Business Markers and associate partner of Zero.by.Fifty, a venture that connects start-ups to big companies so that they can thrive in their sustainability agenda.


Our Thai Board

Ying Charm Hom

Treasurer


Ying is a dedicated community leader with a strong focus on women’s empowerment, education, and youth development. Ying’s leadership was evident during her time with the SWAN Foundation, where she served as the Education Programme Coordinator and Acting Director, managing key programmes aimed at improving the well-being of women in the community.


She has made a significant impact in capacity building and income generation initiatives. Ying holds both a Bachelor’s and Master’s degree in Public Health Administration and her fluency in Shan, Thai, Burmese, and English enhances her ability to connect with diverse stakeholders and drive meaningful change.

Ben Svasti Thomson

Secretary


As a Member of the Order of the British Empire, the Executive Director of the Foundation of Child Understanding (FOCUS) and the Mother Child Concern Foundation (MCC), Ben has dedicated nearly 50 years to humanitarian aid and rural development in Thailand, as well as fighting human trafficking and child abuse. His extensive experience includes navigating the complexities of the Cambodian refugee crisis in the 1980s.


Ben has long admired PCF’s ability to deliver aid to those in need, regardless of how remote their locations are, while maintaining their dignity. Ben feels deeply aligned with PCF's mission and values.


Sallo Polak

Founder & Chairman


Previously a successful floor manager in the Dutch television industry, Sallo moved to Chiang Mai in 2006 to dedicate himself full-time to helping people in vulnerable situations. After working with NGOs in Thailand for a few years he developed the vision to support small, local organisations that are out of the mainstream, and thus to create PCF.

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