Olivia Wong, group head of diversity and inclusion at John Swire & Sons (HK) Ltd., has been elected to serve on Habitat for Humanity International’s board of directors.

“I am pleased to welcome Olivia to our board of directors,” said Jonathan Reckford, CEO of Habitat for Humanity International. “Olivia brings a wealth of knowledge and expertise that will be extremely beneficial to the organization. Her longstanding volunteerism with Habitat shows her commitment to helping us create a world where everyone has a decent place to live.”

Wong began her career with the Swire group in 1988 as a graduate trainee. Before her role as the director of human resources at Swire Properties, Wong was the general manager of leadership development at John Swire & Sons (HK) and managing director of Ethos International Ltd., where she was responsible for recruiting and developing graduate trainees. She has also held various positions with Cathay Pacific Airlines Ltd. in the Hong Kong, a Special Administrative Region of China, Southeast Asia and Europe. Wong is a graduate of the University of California, Berkeley, where she received a degree in social science. She also holds a Master of Business Administration from the University of Michigan.

Wong began volunteering with Habitat for Humanity in 2005, when she joined a team of first responders to help rebuild homes in Sri Lanka after the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami. Since then, she has volunteered with Habitat every year in countries around the world, including Sri Lanka, Indonesia, Mongolia, Romania, Hungary, Haiti, China, Nepal, Cambodia and Vietnam. She currently serves as chair of the board of directors at Habitat for Humanity China and Habitat for Humanity Hong Kong.

“I have seen firsthand how having a safe and decent home can transform a family’s life, especially during a time of crisis when family members need each other more than ever,” Wong said. “It is an honor and privilege to join Habitat’s board of directors. I look forward to working with my colleagues to expand Habitat’s work and serve even more families around the world.”

Habitat’s board of directors is responsible for establishing policy and guiding the organization’s efforts to build or improve affordable housing in partnership with families across the United States and in more than 70 countries around the world. Habitat board members serve for two-year terms that can be renewed up to four times.