| |
APPOINTMENT OF NEW MANAGING DIRECTOR AT
THE SINGAPORE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT BOARD (EDB)
Dr Beh Swan Gin will be appointed as Managing Director of EDB with effect from 1 August 2008. He will succeed Mr Ko Kheng Hwa, who will be joining the private sector after 29 years of distinguished service in the public sector. This change is part of EDB's leadership renewal and succession plan.
Mr Ko Kheng Hwa
2 Mr Ko was appointed EDB’s Managing Director on 1 January 2001. Under Mr Ko’s stewardship, EDB attracted more and better quality investments to Singapore. Last year, manufacturing fixed asset investment commitments surpassed the S$10 billion mark for the first time to reach S$16 billion. Services investment commitments also reached a new high of S$3 billion in annual total business spending. The investments in 2007 will create 28,000 jobs.
3 Mr Ko also led the EDB into new geographies and new industries to develop future growth engines for the Singapore economy. He helmed EDB’s entry into the rising giants of China and India and expanded EDB’s operations into other fast-growing Asia Pacific and Middle East countries. In addition, he played a leading role in spearheading EDB’s thrusts to develop new growth areas such as education, digital media, environment, water and clean energy. Under Mr Ko’s leadership as its Executive Director, the multi-agency Clean Energy Programme Office has made rapid progress in developing the clean energy industry, including securing the S$6.3 billion world’s largest solar energy manufacturing complex in Singapore last year.
4 A President Scholar and graduate of Cambridge University and MIT, Mr Ko has served in the public sector with distinction, holding key appointments including head of a computerisation department in the Ministry of Defence, CEO of the former National Computer Board, as well as CEO of the Jurong Town Corporation. He was awarded the Public Administration Medal (Gold) in 2000.
5 MTI and EDB wish to place on record our deep appreciation to Mr Ko for his leadership and invaluable contributions to EDB. The many ideas he has contributed and implemented will hold the Singapore economy in good stead for many years to come.
Dr Beh Swan Gin
6 Dr Beh, an Administrative Service officer, is currently EDB’s Assistant Managing Director with responsibilities for the Corporate Development, as well as Planning and Policy Groups. Prior to this, Dr Beh held concurrent appointments as Executive Director of the Biomedical Research Council (BMRC) in A*STAR and as Director of the Energy Planning Division at the Ministry of Trade and Industry. Before that, he played a leading role in the development of Singapore’s Biomedical Science cluster when he was EDB’s Director for Biomedical Sciences. Between 1995 and 2000, he was based in Washington DC and New York as part of EDB’s North American Operations. A medical doctor by training, he graduated from the National University of Singapore in March 1991. Dr Beh is also a Sloan Fellow with a Masters of Science in Management from Stanford University’s Graduate School of Business.
7 “EDB is an organisation that constantly renews itself. It has a robust system for grooming leaders from within and for providing opportunities for its officers. Swan Gin has held various portfolios within EDB, ranging from industry development to global operations, from planning & policy to corporate development. As such, he has been immersed in many areas of EDB’s work, and is intimately familiar with the challenges and opportunities that we face in developing Singapore’s economy. Swan Gin will definitely continue EDB’s fine tradition of always pushing and exploring new frontiers, designing solutions for investors and delivering on our promises to our clients”, said Mr Lim Siong Guan, Chairman of EDB.
MINISTRY OF TRADE AND INDUSTRY
ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT BOARD
1 JULY 2008
|
|  |
|
