The Centre for Disaster Protection has appointed Ben Webster as associate director, effective September 8, 2025, as it aims to strengthen efforts in expanding pre-arranged disaster financing mechanisms.
Webster joins from the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, where he served as head of secretariat for the risk-informed early action partnership. His role involved convening climate, humanitarian, development and meteorological organisations to drive systemic change in disaster preparedness and response.
At the Risk-informed Early Action Partnership, Webster led efforts to scale up early action programmes and embed risk-informed approaches into national policies and legal frameworks. His work involved coordinating between multiple sectors to promote systematic changes in how disasters are anticipated and managed.
In his new role, Webster will work to expand technical and policy advice for countries, donors, and multilateral organisations seeking to implement pre-arranged finance mechanisms.
“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,” Webster said. “However, I also saw the limits – too much finance still arrives late, slowly, and unequally, especially for those living in the most vulnerable countries.”
Webster added that joining the Centre represents “an exciting opportunity to help shift this reality” by making pre-arranged finance standard practice to ensure protection reaches people when needed most.
Executive director Daniel Clarke highlighted Webster’s experience in bringing together diverse policy makers and experts to restructure disaster planning and financing approaches. Clarke noted that Webster’s leadership skills would prove “invaluable as disaster losses now exceed US$200 billion annually, yet pre-arranged finance remains far too small and concentrated.”
Clarke said Webster’s appointment positions the Centre 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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