About
PBG Foundation Limited is an Australian-registered Public Benevolent Institution (PBI), governed by the Australian Charities and Not-for-profits Commission (ACNC) and dedicated to alleviating poverty, distress, and disaster-related hardship.
The Foundation was formed in direct response to the growing frequency and severity of humanitarian crises—natural disasters, health emergencies, and social disruptions that continue to impact vulnerable communities worldwide.
These events have exposed critical gaps in recovery frameworks: overstretched health systems, fractured support structures, and individuals bearing the invisible weight of trauma.
From this realisation emerged a singular vision:
Establish an organisation capable of responding not only to the urgent needs arising in the wake of disaster, but also to the long journey of recovery.
PBG Foundation is committed to the restoration of dignity, the rebuilding of essential systems, and the empowerment of communities to reclaim control over their future.
Through strategic investment, ethical governance, and inclusive partnerships, we support sustainable recovery and long-term transformation. Our focus is not just relief—but regeneration.
Our Committed Team
Peter Bowman — “Silverback”
Founder and Ambassador
Peace Envoy & Humanitarian Diplomat
Laissez-Passer Holder, International Commission for the Protection of Civilians (ICPC)
Peter Bowman, known to many by his moniker Silverback, is the visionary founder of PBG Foundation Vanuatu. With a distinguished career spanning finance, risk governance, and humanitarian strategy, Peter has long operated at the intersection of power and purpose. In 2025, his trajectory took a formal diplomatic turn when he was appointed Peace Envoy and recognised as a Laissez-Passer holder by the International Commission for the Protection of Civilians (ICPC)—a designation that underscores his growing role in global civilian protection and diplomacy.
After decades spent structuring capital, Peter chose to redirect his expertise toward a higher calling: the creation of permanent, trauma-informed infrastructure for vulnerable communities. The PBG Foundation Group was born of this vision: not as a charity of sentiment, but as a surgical response to systemic need.
As Founder, Peter’s leadership is anchored in operational clarity, strategic force, and ethical scale. His decision to pilot the Foundation’s first programs in Vanuatu reflects a deep understanding that disaster-prone, economically marginalised regions must be prioritised for resilient, long-term renewal. His governance style is non-performative, rooted in rigorous systems-thinking and the capacity to steward aid financing with accountability and velocity.
Though often described as enigmatic, Peter is defined not by mystique but by his unshakable resolve to restore dignity and balance where global systems have failed. The Silverback identity has come to symbolise not only discretion and strength, but also a kind of benevolent sovereignty, a watchful guardianship over humanitarian integrity in a world increasingly shaped by disruption, displacement, and despair.
Executive Director
Executive Director
Treasurer
Dr. Regina Crameri GAICD, PhD
Dr. Regina Crameri is a globally respected senior executive with over three decades of experience bridging government, academia, and industry to lead transformational programs across health, defence, critical technologies and STEM education.
As Executive Director of PBG Foundation Limited, she brings visionary leadership and operational excellence to advance the Foundation’s mission—delivering high-impact humanitarian aid and strategic recovery initiatives that address poverty, distress, and disaster-related hardship.
Dr. Crameri has served as a key architect of national strategies and led flagship investment programs that have attracted billions of dollars into Australia’s research, technology, and clinical infrastructure. Her work is defined by a commitment to national resilience and deep governance expertise.
With a portfolio grounded in inclusive innovation and global engagement, she has forged international partnerships that drive systemic change and led multidisciplinary teams across 56 countries. Her passion for social equity is reflected in her founding of AIR4, a STEM access initiative focused on empowering Indigenous and underserved youth.
Holding a PhD in Biomedical Science and a graduate qualification in Company Directorship from the Australian Institute of Company Directors (AICD), Dr. Crameri is recognised for harmonising innovation with governance and aligning visionary thinking with measurable impact. She continues to shape the Foundation’s future through inclusive, adaptive, and values-driven leadership.
Mrs. Aruba de Groot-Cham LLM, MSc, LLB, BA
Mrs. Aruba Anita Tanami de Groot-Cham is a visionary force behind the PBG Foundation’s emergence as a pioneering philanthropic institution in the Pacific. An accomplished legal strategist, biomedical researcher, and humanitarian architect, she unites global insight with grounded leadership to advance the Foundation’s mission of direct relief and long-term resilience.
With postgraduate qualifications in both Law and Medical Science, Aruba operates at the nexus of governance, healthcare innovation, and crisis response. Her expertise spans disaster relief coordination, institutional reform, and the design of community-based health and education systems across vulnerable regions. She leads the Foundation’s program strategy, regulatory compliance, and impact-driven partnerships with precision and conviction.
Aruba’s scientific background includes authorship of peer-reviewed publications in oncology, lipid science, and infectious disease treatment. Her work in the development of lipid apheresis protocols and targeted therapies using solasodine rhamnosides has positioned her at the vanguard of smart therapeutics.
Beyond the laboratory and boardroom, Aruba is a cultural leader and community builder. She presides over the national archery federation in Vanuatu, driving youth engagement, cultural preservation, and gender equity through sport. A mother of five and steward of several Pacific-based initiatives, her leadership is deeply personal; rooted in lived experience and unwavering in its moral clarity.
Aruba’s stewardship of the PBG Foundation reflects a rare synthesis of maternal strength, scientific depth, and strategic foresight. Under her direction, the Foundation is not merely a provider of aid, it is a force for structural change, sovereignty of care, and the dignified upliftment of those most often left behind.
Mr. Christopher Penfold
With a dynamic background in financial consultancy, operational restructuring, and digital systems implementation, Christopher brings a rare blend of strategic vision and hands-on capability to the Foundation’s financial leadership.
His career spans two decades across private sector engagement, including senior advisory roles in financial services, international corporate turnarounds, and digital innovation. Known for his capacity to bring order to complexity, Christopher has repeatedly been called upon to stabilise high-risk projects and restore institutional resilience under pressure. His deep experience in compliance, governance, and stakeholder engagement continues to underpin the Foundation’s operational and financial infrastructure.
As Treasurer, Christopher leads with a pragmatic yet principled approach. He is dedicated to ensuring that every dollar of philanthropic capital is stewarded with integrity and translated into measurable, long-term social impact. Under his oversight, PBG Foundation Limited remains structurally capable of deploying scalable relief programs with speed, accuracy, and transparency. His grounding in operational excellence and strategic foresight continues to drive the Foundation’s growth as a respected regional humanitarian actor.
Our Projects
Each project aims to create sustainable change in communities.
