CHANGING OF THE GUARD

Adieu, Dr Jaipal and welcome, Ms Aarthi Sankar.

- Eileen Chan

The incumbent, Dr Jaipal Singh Gill has turned his lifelong love of animals into a crusade – and a career. He has been involved with the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) since 2007 in various capacities.

Now, after six years at the helm as its Executive Director, he is leaving Singapore’s largest and longest-serving animal welfare NGO. At the end of this Dec 2021, he is off on his “own adventures with family”.

Stepping into his shoes is a relative new face (at least in the world of Animal Welfare Groups). She is Aarthi Sankar, 34, a Community Engagement and Transformation Specialist ie: she amps up the engagement with people.

While Jaipal brings an arsenal of knowledge and experience in animal welfare, Ms Aarthi’s strength lies on the other side of the equation: Volunteeer engagement and communications.

People Power

With a wealth of experience in community engagement, she brings to the table a keen understanding of public policy formulation and the wherewithal to win over the multiple stakeholders.

She carries with her an entire toolbox of qualities and traits that, when the opportunities arise, will be able to put them in good use.

Being with the People’s Association (PA) for more than a decade, puts her on stable ground. Her experience in bridging the public and private sector divide is a strength that will undoubtedly serve the SPCA as the organisation moves ahead amid the disruptions caused by Covid-19’s wake.