Ben Webster appointed as Associate Director at the Centre for Disaster Protection

London, 8 September 2025 — The Centre for Disaster Protection (the Centre) is delighted to announce the appointment of Ben Webster as new Associate Director, effective 8 September 2025.

Ben joins the Centre from the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC), where he served as Head of Secretariat for the Risk-informed Early Action Partnership (REAP). He brings to the role a broad combination of leadership, expertise, and practical experience working with people, countries, and organisations to change how they plan and pay for disasters. At REAP, he convened key actors across climate, humanitarian, development, and meteorological communities to drive systemic change, such as scaling up early action and embedding risk-informed approaches into national policies and legal frameworks.

At the Centre, Ben will contribute to strengthening technical and policy advice for countries, donors, and multilateral organisations, helping to expand the reach and impact of pre-arranged finance (PAF) mechanisms.

Centre for Disaster Protection Associate Director Ben Webster said: "During my time working with the Red Cross Red Crescent Movement and heading up the Secretariat of the Risk-informed Early Action Partnership, I saw how powerful it can be when governments, donors, and communities act before crises escalate. However, I also saw the limits — too much finance still arrives late, slowly, and unequally, especially for those living in the most vulnerable countries. Joining the Centre is an exciting opportunity to help shift this reality. By making pre-arranged finance the norm, we can ensure that protection reaches people when and where it’s needed most."

Daniel Clarke, Executive Director of the Centre, added:
"Ben brings a rare combination of leadership, technical expertise, and practical experience of working with people, countries, and organisations to rethink how disasters are planned and paid for. His ability to convene diverse groups of policy makers and experts to drive systemic change will be invaluable as disaster losses now exceed USD 200bn annually, yet pre-arranged finance remains far too small and concentrated. With Ben on board, we are better placed to close the crisis protection gap, expand coverage in low-income countries, and make pre-arranged finance the default, not the exception."

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NOTES TO EDITORS

About the Centre for Disaster Protection

The Centre for Disaster Protection (the Centre) is a technical and policy advisory organisation focused on improving how the world plans and pays for disasters.

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