Our team

Dr. Jill Robinson MBE

Founder & CEO

Jill has been a pioneer of animal welfare in Asia since 1985. Widely recognized as the world’s leading expert on the bear bile industry, Jill founded Animals Asia in 1998 devoted to ending the practice of bear bile extraction, and improving the welfare of animals across Asia. Jill also founded “Dr Dog” in Hong Kong in 1991 – the first animal assisted intervention program in Asia – and is a member of the IUCN SSC Bear Specialist Group, Asiatic Black Bear Expert Team. Among many honors in recognition of services to animal welfare in Asia, Jill was awarded an MBE by the UK’s Queen Elizabeth.

Michelle Lombard

COO

Formerly a member of our Hong Kong Board, Michelle joined Animals Asia as Chief Operations Officer in April 2025. Michelle is a seasoned corporate executive and qualified accountant, specializing in supporting and advising businesses through change, strategic reviews and repositioning organizations for growth. Originally from South Africa, Michelle’s passion for animals began early, shaped by the plight of wild rhinos in her home province and caring for many lost or injured animals that came into the family home.

Felix Ng, CFA, CPA, FCA

Finance Director

Felix is based in Hong Kong office and is responsible for overseeing global financial reporting, treasury management and internal control. Felix began his career as an accountant, working for KPMG. He qualified as a Chartered Financial Analyst in the USA, as a Chartered Accountant in the UK and as a Certified Public Accountant in HK before completing an LLB with the University of London. As a keen sailor, Felix loves nature and believes animals are important friends to human beings. He joined Animals Asia to use his skills to improve life for animals.

Tamara Bond

General Counsel

Tamara has served as General Counsel of Animals Asia since 2003. She leads the organisation’s global legal strategy, advising the Founder & CEO, boards, and senior leadership on legal and governance matters worldwide. Her work has supported improvements in animal welfare law and strengthened collaboration with governments, NGOs, and the international animal law community, while also mentoring lawyers and law students in animal law. Tamara began her career as an antitrust attorney at the U.S. Federal Trade Commission and holds a Juris Doctor from Georgetown University Law Center.

Joanne Dunsford

Global Director of Fundraising and Communications

Jo’s passion for animal welfare and social justice led her into a career in the not-for-profit sector straight from university. She joined Animals Asia as UK Director in June 2015 and held several senior roles across the global team before taking her current position in November 2023. She brings over 25 years’ experience and a successful record of driving growth in multi-million-pound teams for a number of charities. She holds a degree in English Studies and advanced qualifications in fundraising, communications, advertising and marketing.

Boris Chiao

Founding Director

Boris is one of the founding members of Animals Asia and was responsible for overseeing the construction of our first sanctuary in China. He continues to manage its development, leads our Moon Bear Protection program and, having been with Animals Asia since the start, is deeply involved in developing our strategies to end bear bile farming and improve animal welfare. His father’s love of animals and nature had a great influence on Boris, and from an early age he has nurtured a deep respect for all living things and a desire to improve the lives of people and animals.

Heidi Quine BSc, MSc, MBA

Vietnam Director

Heidi was appointed Country Director for Vietnam in October 2024 and has worked with Animals Asia since 2011, having been based at the organization's bear sanctuaries leading multidisciplinary teams across animal care and veterinary functions. She now leads the Vietnam programme, working with government counterparts and partners to advance animal welfare priorities, including ending bear bile farming, transitioning away from elephant riding, and our campaign to end the dog meat trade. Based in Vietnam since 2015, Heidi brings long-standing regional experience and a practical understanding of delivering welfare outcomes in complex regulatory and operational environments.

Suki Deng

Director, Cat and Dog Welfare, China

Suki is based in Chengdu and oversees our Cat and Dog Welfare program in China. She leads strategy and action on a wide range of cat and dog welfare issues in mainland China and has been instrumental in improving living conditions and advocating for welfare reform. Suki joined Animals Asia in 2006, beginning with our Doctor Dog project in Chengdu. By government invitation, she is a member of the Rabies Working Committee of the First National Preventive Medicine Association.

Tuan Bendixsen, PhD

Senior Advisor / Director, Cat and Dog Welfare, Vietnam

After nearly 20 years leading Animals Asia’s operations in Vietnam, Tuan stepped into the role of Senior Advisor and Director, Cat & Dog Welfare Vietnam, in October 2024. He continues to advise on Vietnam operations and the campaign to end bear bile farming while focusing on ending the dog meat trade in Vietnam. Tuan has developed the program through research, alliances and activities to monitor and prevent national and international transport of dogs for food, providing strategic direction alongside the Cat and Dog Welfare team.

David Neale

Animal Sentience and Welfare Director

Dave leads an international team of experienced educators, delivering programmes across China, HK and Vietnam, engaging schoolchildren, students, teachers, animal managers, and vets on issues of animal sentience, emotions, cognition and welfare. Dave also leads campaigns to end the use of wild animals in circus performances and in Vietnam, has transformed traditional elephant rides into ethical elephant tourism, launching the country's first ethical elephant experience in partnership with the Vietnamese authorities.

Niki Wu

Bear & Vet Team Director, China Bear Rescue Centre

Niki leads the team caring for the bears at our China sanctuary. She previously worked in financial services in Beijing and London, before joining Animals Asia in October 2024. She first visited the sanctuary in 2010, an experience that ultimately shaped her role today and while in the UK, she volunteered with Animals Asia’s London Support Group. She has also volunteered on conservation and community projects across Uganda, Kenya, Albania and China, and is deeply committed to improving the lives of individual animals through ethical welfare solutions.

Ta Thu Thuy

Sanctuary Manager - Vietnam Bear Rescue Centre, Tam Dao

Thuy graduated in Accounting and Finance and later completed a Master’s programme in Management through the NEU (Vietnam) – UWE (England) partnership. She joined Animals Asia in 2011 and currently serves as Sanctuary Manager at the Vietnam Bear Rescue Centre. Working alongside more than 100 local staff, Thuy is dedicated to building and developing the sanctuary, contributing to Animals Asia’s mission to end bear bile exploitation and supporting the people who make this work possible every day.

Thuy Hoang

Sanctuary Manager - Vietnam Bear Rescue Centre II, Bach Ma

Thuy developed a deep love for wildlife from childhood, graduating with a professional diploma in Veterinary Medicine in 2014 and working with wildlife NGOs caring for primates and carnivores. She now leads the team at Bach Ma Bear Rescue Centre, dedicated to ending bear bile farming in Vietnam. Thuy is committed to creating a sanctuary that offers a safe haven for rescued bears and to building a future where humanity’s relationship with wildlife is rooted in empathy and respect.

Anneleise Smillie

Chair

Anneleise has over 25 years’ experience in the non-profit sector and joined Animals Asia as a volunteer in 1999. Her career spans programme operations, fundraising and executive management across animal welfare, education, international development and circular fashion. She joined the board in 2010 and became chair in 2020. Now living in The Netherlands, Anneleise manages the Optiver Foundation and volunteers with the animal ambulance service while maintaining a lifelong passion for Animals Asia’s work.

Celine Zhang

Vice-chair

Celine is an entrepreneurial financial professional with experience across private wealth advisory, investment and corporate banking, as well as in-house and audit firm accounting. A native of China, she has lived and worked in London, Paris, Hong Kong, Shanghai and is now based in UAE where she heads up Tiro Capital’s operations. After obtaining her MBA, Celine worked for BNP Paribas, Standard Chartered and HSBC, delivering a full suite of investment banking products. She holds a BSc in Finance from Fudan University and a MBA from HEC Paris.

Noëlle Gahan

Secretary

Noëlle is a growth-focused Chief Marketing Officer with senior roles in global public relations firms, in-house marketing and sales, and leadership roles in start-ups. Her connection with Animals Asia began in 2006 while living in China after visiting the Chengdu Bear Rescue Centre. A passionate animal lover, Noëlle is the proud mother of three dogs, two cats and four humans. She is a world-class outrigger canoe and dragon boat athlete and holds three engineering degrees and an MBA.

Stephen Lee

Board Member

Stephen joined the Animals Asia Board in 2021 and has been involved in animal welfare since 2003. His experience includes educating the legal profession and wider community, promoting academic exploration in animal law and contributing to law and policy development. Stephen is dual-qualified to practise law in Australia and Hong Kong and is currently based in Sydney. He holds a Bachelor of Information Technology from the University of Wollongong and a Bachelor of Laws (Honours) from the University of Technology Sydney.

Dr William Thomas, BVSc MRCVS

Board Member

Will is Founder and CEO of Animal Doctors International, operating veterinary hospitals across Laos, Cambodia and Vietnam. The organisation focuses on veterinary capacity building, animal welfare, responsible pet ownership and wildlife conservation. Will is also Founder of Idsara Wild, Vice-Chairman of the British Chamber of Commerce in Laos and a former board member of the Lao Elephant Initiative. His leadership and commitment to governance and strategic planning strengthen Animals Asia’s regional collaboration efforts.

Jill Robinson MBE

Founder and CEO

Jill has been a pioneer of animal welfare in Asia since 1985. Widely recognised as the world’s leading expert on the bear bile industry, Jill founded Animals Asia in 1998 devoted to ending the practice of bear bile extraction, and improving the welfare of animals across Asia. Jill also founded “Dr Dog” in Hong Kong in 1991 – the first animal assisted intervention program in Asia – and is a member of the IUCN SSC Bear Specialist Group - Asiatic Black Bear Expert Team. Among many honours in recognition of services to animal welfare in Asia, Jill was awarded an MBE by the UK’s Queen Elizabeth.

Anne Collier

Board Member

Anne lives in the UK and has held various roles over nearly 20 years, beginning in business travel and cruising companies in central London. After starting a family, she moved to the east coast of England and worked as a home carer for 12 years, supporting people in the community. Anne has homed two rescue cats who lived into their twenties, including Toby, an elderly cat rescued from the streets of Hong Kong and flown to the UK where he lived happily with her family for eight years.

Nicola Field

Board Member

Nicola (Nic) Field spent 12 years as Bear & Vet Team Director at Animals Asia’s China Bear Rescue Centre. She is Co-Founder and Director of Global Animal Welfare and lectures undergraduates in animal behaviour and welfare. Nic served for nine years as a member of IUCN Captive Bear Expert Team and is a Trustee for Wild Futures. She has 30 years’ experience working with wildlife, particularly bears and primates, and holds an MSc in Wildlife Biology & Conservation alongside Animal Management and Education qualifications.

Jill Robinson

Founder and CEO

Jill Robinson MBE, Dr.med.vet. h.c. has been a pioneer of animal welfare in Asia since 1985. Widely recognised as the world’s leading expert on the bear bile industry, Jill founded Animals Asia in 1998 devoted to ending the practice of bear bile extraction, and improving the welfare of animals across Asia. Jill also founded “Dr Dog” in Hong Kong in 1991 – the first animal therapy program in Asia – and is a member of the IUCN SSC Bear Specialist Group - Asiatic Black Bear Expert Team.

Dr. Katrina Warren

Board Member

Dr Katrina is one of Australia’s most recognised veterinarians. With an impressive media career spanning 30 years, she is an established and trusted pet expert known for promoting responsible pet ownership and championing animal welfare causes. Katrina has been an Animals Asia Ambassador since 2006 after a media trip took her to the Chengdu bear sanctuary, where she witnessed several bears arriving from a farm. Deeply moved by the experience, Katrina immediately pledged her support. Katrina joined the Australian Board of Animals Asia in 2023.

Rebekah Lam

Board Member

Rebekah joined the Australian board in 2024. She is a solicitor and former Chartered Accountant with experience at multinational companies in London and Sydney and professional services firms. Her expertise includes corporate governance, risk management, finance, mergers and acquisitions and contracting. Rebekah is passionate about animal protection and has chaired and coordinated animal law committees in NSW, provided pro bono advice to animal welfare charities, and serves on the boards of Assistance Dogs Australia and Action on Poverty.

Lara Simpson

Secretary

Lara joined the Animals Asia Board as Secretary in September 2023 with 25 years of experience within the charity sector. She has worked in fundraising, administration, finance, animal welfare, compliance, governance and risk. She joined Animals Asia’s Supporter Care Team in 2007, became our Global Head of Supporter Experience and currently works within our Legal Team. Having studied Anthropology at university, this led to a passion for primates which became a career with the welfare of animals at its heart.

Tamara Bond

Board Member

Tamara has served as General Counsel of Animals Asia since 2003. She leads the organisation’s global legal strategy, advising the Founder & CEO, boards, and senior leadership on legal and governance matters worldwide. Her work has supported improvements in animal welfare law and strengthened collaboration with governments, NGOs, and the international animal law community, while also mentoring lawyers and law students in animal law. Tamara began her career as an antitrust attorney at the U.S. Federal Trade Commission and holds a Juris Doctor from Georgetown University Law Center.

Jill Robinson

Founder and CEO

Jill Robinson MBE, Dr.med.vet. h.c. has been a pioneer of animal welfare in Asia since 1985. Widely recognised as the world’s leading expert on the bear bile industry, Jill founded Animals Asia in 1998 devoted to ending the practice of bear bile extraction, and improving the welfare of animals across Asia. Jill also founded “Dr Dog” in Hong Kong in 1991 – the first animal therapy program in Asia – and is a member of the IUCN SSC Bear Specialist Group - Asiatic Black Bear Expert Team.

Tamara Bond

Board Member

Tamara has served as General Counsel of Animals Asia since 2003. She leads the organisation’s global legal strategy, advising the Founder & CEO, boards, and senior leadership on legal and governance matters worldwide. Her work has supported improvements in animal welfare law and strengthened collaboration with governments, NGOs, and the international animal law community, while also mentoring lawyers and law students in animal law. Tamara began her career as an antitrust attorney at the U.S. Federal Trade Commission and holds a Juris Doctor from Georgetown University Law Center.