SPH appoints Lee Boon Yang as Board Director

Lee will also be appointed as member of the Executive Committee, Remuneration Committee and Nominating Committee.

Singapore Press Holdings Limited (SPH) has appointed Dr Lee Boon Yang as Director to its Board with effect from 1 Oct 2011, with a view to his eventual appointment as non-executive Chairman.

Dr Lee, who will also be appointed a member of the Executive Committee, Remuneration Committee and Nominating Committee, will be put up for re-election at the SPH Annual General Meeting on 1 December. If re-elected, he will be appointed Chairman of the Board and Chairman of the Executive Committee. He will continue as a member on the Remuneration and Nominating Committees.

SPH's former Chairman, Dr Tony Tan, resigned on 1 July 2011 to contest in the Presidential Election. He was elected the seventh President of The Republic of Singapore last month (August 2011). Dr Tan had served as SPH Chairman from 2 December 2005.

Dr Lee, 64, was the Minister for Information, Communications and the Arts before he retired from politics on 31 March 2009. In his 24 years of political office, he served in various portfolios, including Minister for Defence, Minister in the Prime Minister’s Office and Minister for Manpower, according to an SPH report.

Dr Lee is also non-executive Chairman of Keppel Corporation Limited, a position he has held since 1 July 2009.
Dr Cham Tao Soon, 72, Acting Chairman of SPH, said: “On behalf of the SPH Board, I would like to welcome Dr Lee on board. With his extensive experience in varied fields and keen insights into the media industry, Dr Lee will be able to help guide SPH to greater heights.”

Dr Lee said: “I am grateful for the privilege and opportunity to serve on the SPH Board. SPH with its extensive range of multi-lingual media platforms is well placed to cater to the news and information needs of all Singaporeans. I look forward to working with the Board, management and staff to provide better service to our readers be it in print or digital media products. I am confident that by working together we will be able to grow from strength to strength and enhance our stakeholders' interests.”

Dr Lee studied veterinary science at the University of Queensland, Australia. Before he joined politics, he was a veterinarian and R&D Officer in the government’s Primary Production Department. He was also Assistant Regional Director with the US Feed Grains Council and Senior Manager (Projects) with the Primary Industries Enterprise Pte Ltd.