Ho Ching

Ho Ching (zh-cp|c=何晶|p=Hé Jīng) is the Chief Executive Officer of Temasek Holdings (over US$100 billion in assets and owned by Singapore's Ministry of Finance) and the wife of the Prime Minister of Singapore, Lee Hsien Loong (son of former Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew).

Ms Ho graduated from the University of Singapore in 1976 with a Bachelor of Engineering (Electrical, First Class Honours) after completing her pre-university education at National Junior College where she emerged as a Student of the Year and was a President's Scholar. She graduated from Crescent Girls' School. She also holds a Master of Science (Electrical) from Stanford University, USA."Brig-Gen Lee to marry engineer on Dec 17", Hedwig Alfred, The Straits Times, 16 November 1985] In 1995, Ms Ho was conferred the Distinguished Engineering Alumnus Award. She is also an Honorary Fellow of the Institution of Engineers, Singapore.

She is the eldest child of four children of retired businessman Ho Eng Hong and Chan Chiew Ping. In 17 December, 1985, she married Lee Hsien Loong, who later became Singapore's third Prime Minister in August 2004.

Ms Ho is Executive Director & Chief Executive Officer of Temasek Holdings.

She began her career as an engineer with the Ministry of Defence. In 1987, she joined the Singapore Technologies group as Deputy Director of Engineering, and became its President and Chief Executive Officer before retiring in 2001. She later joined Temasek Holdings in May 2002.

Business press coverage

In 2006, "Forbes" magazine remarked that Ho had made "a spectacular misjudgment" in the purchase of Shin Corp shares. Since then, "Shin shares have fallen 43% since the deal was signed, and Temasek will now endure a potentially embarrassing probe by the new regime into Thaksin's finances that threatens asset seizures, deal cancellation, and large fines." [cite web| title = Bouquets for a coup d'etat| author=Eric Ellis | publisher = CNN| url=http://money.cnn.com/magazines/fortune/fortune_archive/2006/10/16/8390330/index.htm| accessdate=2006-11-20]

In 2007, the same magazine ranked her third in the list of most powerful women in business (outside the United States). [cite news | title = Ho Ching, world's 3rd most powerful woman | url = http://www.todayonline.com/articles/208754.asp | date = 1 Sep 2007 | publisher = Today] Her previous rankings were 11^th in 2005, 5^th in 2004, and 10^th in 2003.Fact|date=September 2007

In 2007, she was picked as one of the "100 most influential men and women" who shaped the world by TIME Magazine. [cite web| title=Ho Ching - The TIME 100| author=Jim Rogers| url=http://www.time.com/time/specials/2007/time100/article/0,28804,1595326_1615737_1615992,00.html | publisher = Time | accessdate=2007-05-05]

Similarly in 2007, business magazine Forbes ranked her third in its annual list of the world's most powerful women, leap-frogging a rank ahead of US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and falling short behind German Chancellor Angela Merkel and China's Vice-Premier Wu Yi. Ho Ching was ranked 36th in the same list last year.

References