SPH Media, the Singapore media brand that publishes several news titles, has announced this week that Chan Yeng Kit, Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Health, is taking over as CEO of SPH with effect from July 15. He succeeds Teo Lay Lim, who is retiring from SPH Media.
A media release, dated April 8, from SPH said: “Yeng Kit brings a wealth of experience from his extensive career in the public sector, the labour movement, and the private sector. In his various leadership roles, he has led organisations through challenges posed by digital disruption and behavioural shifts.”
The release added: “Yeng Kit has been involved with the infocomm and media sectors for almost two decades, including as Permanent Secretary of the former Ministry of Information, Communications & the Arts, and as Founding Chairman of the Infocomm Media Development Authority.
“As the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Health, Yeng Kit was awarded the Meritorious Service Medal in 2022 for his significant contributions to Singapore, including overseeing key aspects of the national and ministry’s response efforts to COVID-19.”
The SPH release further informed: “Lay Lim, who emerged from retirement to spearhead SPH Media’s digital transformation three months after its formation, laid a solid foundation for the organisation’s growth. Her expertise in transformation and digitalisation played a pivotal role in SPH Media’s new digital journey.”
“At the core of this digital transformation is its data integration and analytics efforts, which are providing the organisation with better visibility and insights to audiences, and supporting decision making,” said the SPH release.
Khaw Boon Wan, Chairman of SPH Media Trust, said, “Yeng Kit is committed to our mission to help inform and unite our people via quality journalism. Against the competitive pressure from social media, he will support the newsrooms to tap digital platforms to reach new audiences and build a sustainable commercial model. We are grateful to Lay Lim for kick-starting our organisation’s digital transformation. Yeng Kit will build upon the foundations that she has built.”
Incoming and retiring CEOs voice their thoughts
Incoming CEO Chan Yeng Kit said, “I am thankful for this opportunity to lead Singapore’s premier news organisation, one that has left an indelible impact on the lives of generations of Singaporeans. I look forward to working with my SPH Media colleagues to better serve Singapore, Singaporeans and our partners.”
Retiring CEO Teo Lay Lim said, “It has been a tremendous privilege to have served SPH Media in the first lap of its transformation journey. The digital foundation is now in place, and I am confident that Yeng Kit will adeptly navigate SPH Media through the next lap.”
SPH Media has “refreshed” digital platforms and mobile apps
Elaborating on the work done in the digital space to expand the reach of SPH Media, the release said: “To enhance customer experiences and stay relevant to how different audiences consume content, the organisation has refreshed its digital platforms and mobile apps to improve accessibility, interactivity, and content discovery under Lay Lim’s tenure.
“This has also led to SPH Media building its next generation digital media creation and production capabilities to engage audiences across social media and messaging apps. This is of particular importance as the organisation seeks to engage younger audiences.”