Lim Neo Chian

Lim Neo Chian (Chinese: 林梁长) is the current Deputy Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the Singapore Tourism Board (STB). He was also the Chief of Army in the Singapore Armed Forces from 1992-1995, last holding the rank of Major-General.

Education

Lim Neo Chian has a Bachelor of Engineering (1st Class) from Sheffield University, UK (1975) under the SAF (Overseas) Scholarship (1972) and attended Harvard Business School's Program for Management Development in 1988 and the Advanced Management Programme in 2002. He was also awarded the Honorary Doctorate in Engineering by Sheffield University, UK, in 1996.

Career

Lim Neo Chian served in the Singapore Armed Forces until 1995, and had a distinguished career in the Singapore Army. He was the Chief of Army from 1992-1995 and last held the rank of Major General.

In 1995, he joined Jurong Town Corporation (JTC) as CEO. In his tenure in JTC, Mr Lim has been the driving force to inculcate a customer-focused culture, and has been a key mover in several major initiatives, including the development of the wafer-fabrication parks in record time and the development of Jurong Island into a world-class chemicals hub. He subsequently served as JTC's Chairman from 1998 to 2003. As JTC Chairman, he was also highly involved with the setting up of Philip Yeo's brainchild: Biopolis.

He had also been concurrently the CEO of the China-Singapore Suzhou Industrial Park Development Co Ltd from 1 Mar 1998 to 31 Dec 2000, where he was active not only in the development of the Suzhou Industrial Park, but was also actively marketing and promoting international investments. He had stepped down as Deputy Chairman of the Economic Development Board in Jan 2002, after a stint of 4 years on the Board of Singapore EDB.

Lim Neo Chian also served as the non-executive Deputy Chairman of Singapore Technologies Engineering Ltd (ST Engg) until 2002, a company listed on the Singapore Stock Exchange. ST Engg is an integrated engineering group with a global presence and specialised capabilities in the aerospace, electronics, land systems and marine fields. Lim Neo Chian had previously served on various boards in the ST Engg group including Chairmanship of Singapore Technologies Kinetics Ltd, the land systems arm of ST Engg. Between June 2001 and Feb 2002, Lim Neo Chian also served as the CEO of ST Engg. Lim Neo Chian's other appointments included Dy Chairman of the China-Singapore Suzhou Industrial Park Development Co Ltd (the company that runs the Suzhou Industrial Park), Vice Chairman of the Singapore Red Cross Council, and Co-Chairman of the French Singapore Business Council.

Lim Neo Chian currently serves as the Deputy Chairman and CEO of the Singapore Tourism Board. He is also the Vice-Chairman of the Singapore Red Cross, and sits on the boards of the Esplanade, and the National Arts Council. As the CEO of STB, he was instrumental in helping Singapore's tourism industry survive the SARS crisis. Currently, he is also instrumental in bringing major casino players to set up the two new integrated resorts in Singapore after the Singapore government lifted a 30 year ban on casinos.

Awards

Lim Neo Chian was awarded the Public Administration Medal (Gold)(Military) in 1994.

In 1996, he was awarded the Honorary Doctorate in Engineering from Sheffield University, UK.

In 2003, he was awarded the Public Administration Medal (Gold) in recognition of his stewardship and contribution in steering STB and the Singapore tourism sector through the SARS crisis.

References

* "Fighting Sars Together" [http://www.sars.gov.sg/archive/'Step%20Out!'%20Spin-Offs%20May%20Top%20$100m%20(BT).html]
* "3 Teams Bid for 2nd Singapore Casino" [http://www.foxnews.com/wires/2006Oct10/0,4670,SingaporeCasino,00.html]
* "STB Gets New Chief" [http://www.asiatraveltips.com/travelnews2002/20Sept02STB.shtml]
* "The Bio-Mad Man" [http://www.todayonline.com/articles/137300.asp]