Staff

Marat Yu is the Regional Programme Director for East and Southeast Asia at EMpower, where he oversees country strategies across Indonesia, the Philippines, Vietnam, and Hong Kong. He leads the region’s grantmaking portfolios, steers capacity-strengthening initiatives, and collaborates with the team to enhance programme learning and impact.

Marat believes in the power of community and the leadership of people with lived experiences. He brings two decades of experience across the philanthropic, non-profit, and private sectors, with a focus on migrant and labour rights, gender equity, youth empowerment, and public health throughout South and Southeast Asia. He is also actively engaged in civic affairs, serving on the boards of Oxfam Hong Kong and HER Fund.

He holds an MSc in Development Studies from the London School of Economics, a Master of Buddhist Studies from the University of Hong Kong, and a Bachelor of Business Administration from the Chinese University of Hong Kong.

Outside of work, Marat enjoys hiking, reading, and exploring museums. A fan of world cinema and theatre arts, he is also learning to be more hands-on at home by picking up cooking and home maintenance skills