The Singapore government has announced a series of important leadership appointments.

The Ministry of Trade and Industry made several changes to the boards of five statutory agencies, which took effect on 1 April. These changes span the Economic Development Board (EDB); Energy Market Authority (EMA); Enterprise Singapore (EnterpriseSG); JTC Corporation (JTC); and Sentosa Development Corporation (SDC).

At EDB, notable additions include Tan Su Shan, CEO of DBS, and Manish Bhatia, EVP of global operations at Micron Technology. Their appointments bring fresh perspectives to the board as they join five members who were reappointed earlier this year.

The leadership changes extend to EnterpriseSG, where three new board members have been appointed. Khoo Boo Hor, CEO of precision plastics manufacturer Sunningdale Tech, Cindy Lim, CEO of infrastructure at Keppel, and Paul Santos, co-founder and managing partner of venture capital firm Wavemaker Partners, all bring strong business acumen to the table.

EMA’s board will also now include Lock Kai Sang, head of the Energy Efficiency Technology Centre at the Singapore Institute of Technology, and Premod Thomas, CEO of strategy consulting firm Capital Insights. This follows the reappointment of five members.

At JTC, one new member, Saiful Saroni, a partner at PwC Singapore, has been added to the board, while four others have been reappointed.

Sentosa Development Corporation, meanwhile, will see a shift in its leadership with Bob Tan continuing as chairman for one more year, and Edmund Koh, UBS Asia-Pacific chairman, stepping in as deputy chairman.

Four new appointments will join SDC’s board: Ling Tok Hong, partner at PwC Singapore; Kevin Goh, CEO of lodging at CapitaLand Investment and CEO of The Ascott; Dr William Lim, divisional director of the planning division at the Ministry of Education; and Tang Zhi Hui, senior director of industry at MTI. Two members have been reappointed as well.

Furthermore, MTI announced that 11 board members across these statutory agencies would be departing after completing their terms.

New leadership at sustainability-focused ministries

Key appointments are also occurring within ministries focused on sustainability. Under the Ministry of Sustainability and the Environment (MSE), two significant changes in leadership have been announced.

Chaly Mah will take over from Lee Chuan Seng as the new chairperson of the National Environment Agency (NEA), while Chan Lai Fung will succeed Chiang Chie Foo as chairperson of PUB, Singapore’s national water agency.

Mah, who has served as NEA’s deputy chairperson, brings extensive leadership experience. He currently holds the chairmanship of Surbana Jurong and Netlink NBN Trust, and has previously chaired the Singapore Tourism Board and Singapore Land Authority. He also served as Singapore’s non-resident ambassador to Costa Rica.

Mah is stepping into the role at NEA following Lee, who served from 2019. During his tenure, Lee oversaw major projects such as the Tuas Nexus integrated waste management facility and the expansion of Project Wolbachia, a key initiative in mosquito control.

Meanwhile, Chan, who will helm PUB, brings over 36 years of public service experience. Her past roles include serving as permanent secretary at the law, finance, and education ministries. She takes the reins from Chiang, who has been PUB’s chairperson since 2017.

Under Chiang’s leadership, PUB led technological advancements to enhance operational resilience, and introduced several employee retention and development initiatives.

Leadership transition at JTC Corporation

In another significant move, Jacqueline Poh has officially stepped into the role of CEO at JTC, the government agency that drives sustainable industrial development. Poh, formerly managing director at the Economic Development Board (EDB), had been appointed CEO-designate in March and officially succeeded Tan Boon Khai on 1 April.

Poh’s leadership at JTC comes at a time when the organisation is focused on expanding its role in fostering sustainable industrial growth in Singapore. Her experience at EDB, combined with her vision for industrial development, is expected to drive JTC’s mission forward in creating a sustainable and forward-thinking industrial landscape for Singapore.