AmCham Women Pioneers Series with Professor Cheong Koon Hean

The American Chamber of Commerce in Singapore

Established in 1973, The American Chamber of Commerce in Singapore (AmCham Singapore) is the premier business association for international businesses seeking to establish or expand their presence in Southeast Asia.

As the largest and most active chamber in the region, it serves as a cornerstone for over 600 companies and over 6,000 members. For 50 years, AmCham Singapore has a commitment to advocacy, business insights, and connections while being a powerful voice for the business community. With its diverse membership base, it is dedicated to supporting businesses to strive for excellence in this dynamic and thriving region.

Find out more about us at https://amcham.com.sg/about-amcham.

Event Details

This event is by INVITATION ONLY

Singapore : The City of Innovations

Someone visiting Singapore today would find it hard to imagine what Singapore was like in the 1960s. It was a nation of slums and squatters. The city choked with congestion and the economy struggled for survival. Many parts of the city including Marina Bay did not exist and was part of the sea. Fast forward six decades later, how did Singapore become one of the most liveable cities in Asia ? How will Singapore deal with new challenges such as climate change ? Having been closely involved in shaping Singapore for more than three decades, Prof Cheong Koon Hean shares the many challenges faced by a land and resource starved Singapore and provides a glimpse into how innovation has and will drive its transformation.

* For any enquires please contact the AmCham Programming and Events Team at pe@amcham.com.sg.

* Cancellation Policy: No refunds will be provided for cancellations. Replacements will be accepted.

Speakers

Professor Cheong Koon Hean

Chairman at Lee Kuan Yew Centre for Innovative Cities (SUTD) and Centre for Liveable Cities Advisory Panel (MND)

Prof Cheong Koon Hean is currently Practice Professor and Chairman of the Lee Kuan Yew Centre for Innovative Cities (Singapore University of Technology and Design) as well as the Centre for Liveable Cities Advisory Panel (Ministry for National Development). She was formerly the CEO of the Housing and Development Board from 2010 to 2020, overseeing some 1 million public housing flats and introduced a new generation of well designed, community centric, sustainable and smart public housing. Prof Cheong was also CEO of Urban Redevelopment Authority from 2004 to 2010 and concurrently the Deputy Secretary of the Ministry of National Development from 2001 to 2016, with extensive experience in land use planning, conservation of built heritage and the real estate market. She played a key role in major urban transformations such as Singapore’s new city extension at Marina Bay and the Sino-Singapore Tianjin Eco City.

She has served on numerous boards and advisory panels including the World Economic Forum Council, Infrastructure Asia International Advisory Panel (Ministry of Trade & Industry), Urban Solutions and Sustainability Domain International Advisory Panel (National Research Foundation), Keppel Technology Advisory Panel (Keppel Corporation Ltd) and is appointed Senior Advisor (Public Sector Sustainability) of the Ministry of Sustainability and the Environment. She is a board trustee of the National University of Singapore, Rector of NUS College, board member of CapitaLand Group, former Deputy President and current Council member of the International Federation for Housing & Planning, Chairman of the Lee Kuan Yew World City Prize’s Nominating Committee, a Fellow(Life) and Honorary Fellow of the Singapore Institute of Architects and Institute of Planners respectively.

She is an active participant in global conferences and has been featured on various media channels such as BBC, CNBC, CNA MBC (Korea), Financial Times and various documentaries on cities.

Prof Cheong has received numerous awards, notably the Meritorious Service Medal for outstanding public service and is the first Asian to receive both the 2016 Urban Land Institute’s Prize for Urban Visionaries and the Lynn S Beedle Lifetime Achievement Award by the Council for Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat. She was the 2010 Her World “Woman of the Year”, was conferred the International Women’s Forum 2011 “Woman Who Makes a Difference” award and was inducted into the SCWO Singapore Women’s Hall of Fame in 2014. She was a Colombo Plan Scholar with degrees in Architecture (First Class Hon and University Gold Medal), a Doctor of Architecture Honoris Causa (University of Newcastle), Masters degree in Urban Development Planning (University College London), and has completed the Advanced Management Programme (Harvard Business School).