SINGAPORE — Former chief executive officer (CEO) of Land Transport Authority (LTA) Ngien Hoon Ping has been appointed as SMRT's new group CEO from Aug 1.
In a press statement on Friday (March 18), SMRT said current group CEO Neo Kian Hong will step down from the role and become advisor to Mr Ngien from Aug 1 to Oct 31 to facilitate a smooth transition.
Mr Ngien will join SMRT as a board director on May 1, SMRT added.
Mr Ngien is an engineer by training and profession, and he holds an electrical and electronics engineering degree from the University of Manchester in Britain, and has a master's degree in science from the National University of Singapore, said the statement.
He has helmed NTUC FairPrice Group’s supply chain business as its CEO since September 2020.
Prior to that, he was the CEO of LTA from 2016 to 2020, overseeing infrastructure projects such as the Thomson-East Coast Line, Mandai Depot and Lornie Highway.
He was also deputy secretary (performance) at the Ministry of Finance, and served in the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) for 26 years, rising to the rank of Brigadier-General.
While in the military, Mr Ngien took on various roles such as director of joint operations, commander of the combat service support command, and assistant chief of general staff (logistics).
Mr Ngien will be the third consecutive ex-SAF general to helm SMRT. Mr Neo was Singapore's seventh chief of defence force from 2010 to 2013.
His predecessor at SMRT Desmond Kuek was the nation's sixth chief of defence force.
SMRT chairman Seah Moon Ming said on Thursday that SMRT board has a leadership succession plan with "robust talent pipeline at different levels".
The plan is reviewed regularly to ensure relevance and currency, he added.
Said Mr Seah: "We welcome Hoon Ping to the SMRT family and are confident that with his experience in the transport sector as well as his more recent focus on digitalisation and process improvements, Hoon Ping is well placed to lead SMRT forward in an era of disruption."
Mr Seah thanked Mr Neo, the outgoing group CEO, for his service and contributions where he "oversaw a deepening of rail engineering capabilities and consistent delivery of high rail reliability."
https://www.todayonline.com/singapo...ake-over-neo-kian-hong-smrt-group-ceo-1849226