02-05-2025
New chairman, deputy chairman take the helm at Singapore Children's Society
New chairman, deputy chairman take the helm at Singapore Children's Society
SINGAPORE – The Singapore Children's Society has elected a new chairman and deputy chairman, with effect from May 1.
Mr Seah Chin Siong succeeded Mr Koh Choon Hui as chairman, while Ms Tan Khiaw Ngoh took over Professor Ho Lai Yun's role as deputy chairman, the charity said in a statement on May 2 .
Mr Seah, who chairs the National Volunteer and Philanthropy Centre and iShine Cloud, a software charity, was previously co-opted as a board member of the society.
He held leadership roles in the public, private and social sectors – including as president and chief executive officer of the Singapore Institute of Management, CEO of Singapore Pools and founding CEO of IDA International. He also held senior positions at Accenture in the Asia-Pacific region.
In the statement, Mr Seah thanked Mr Koh and Prof Ho for their contributions to the charity that serves children, youth and families.
'Children's Society is where it is today because of Mr Koh's visionary leadership. I've had the privilege of witnessing the extraordinary impact Mr Koh has made, together with Prof Ho, in shaping the society into the trusted and impactful organisation it is today,' he said.
Mr Seah added that the charity will continue with Mr Koh's legacy and uphold the values that he championed.
Mr Koh began volunteering with the Singapore Children's Society in 1975 and became its chairman in 1978.
Under his leadership, the charity grew from three to 11 service centres, established a research and advocacy department in 2003, and launched key initiatives such as the Tinkle Friend Helpline, KidzLive, and community-based youth drop-in centres.
Mr Koh also lobbied for the renaming of the Beyond Parental Control programme, as the name implied that the youth were the problem. In 2020, it was changed to a more inclusive title of Family Guidance Order.
In the area of sustainable philanthropy, Mr Koh drove community engagement and pioneered fund-raising efforts. These included the 1,000 Enterprises for Children-in-Need and 1,000 Philanthropists programmes, which have raised a total of more than $72 million since their inception 16 years ago.
He received many national awards for his contributions, including the Distinguished Service Order in 2020 and the Outstanding Lifetime Volunteer Award in 2017.
Ms Tan Khiaw Ngoh took over Professor Ho Lai Yun's role as deputy chairman.
PHOTOS: SINGAPORE CHILDREN'S SOCIETY
Ms Tan , who took over as deputy chairman, is a long-serving board member and has contributed extensively to the charity since 1999.
She chairs both the social work service standing committee and the audit and risk committee.
Ms Tan was an audit partner at PricewaterhouseCoopers for more than 35 years, and she now serves as an independent director of three publicly listed companies.
The charity said her deep understanding of governance, finance and social service strategy will strengthen its leadership team.
Her predecessor, Prof Ho, became the deputy chairman in 2002. A neonatologist, he joined the charity in 1988 and led the research and advocacy standing committee for 21 years.
Under his stewardship, the charity said it pioneered local research studies on child abuse and neglect, and physical discipline.
It also became a key advocate for a bully-free school environment and body safety education for pre-schoolers.
In addition, Prof Ho represented the charity at global forums and helped strengthen its voice on the international stage, including the United Nations and World Health Organisation, according to the statement.
Prof Ho received national awards such as the Public Service Medal in 2006, the Public Service Star in 2010 and the Public Service Star (Bar) in 2021.
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