Mr Lew Chuen Hong has been appointed as the new Chief Executive (CE) to the Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA), announced the Ministry of Communication and Information (MCI) in a press release on Monday (15 June). This promotion to CE comes just a month after Mr Lew joined the IMDA in May 2020 as the Deputy Chief Executive (Development). Before that, he was Chief of Navy from 2017 to 2020.
In the course of his career in the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF), Mr Lew held several senior command and staff appointments including Fleet Commander and Chief of Staff. He has also served as the Director of the Ministry of Trade and Industry’s Research and Enterprise Division where he oversaw the development of entrepreneurship and the country’s research and development ecosystem.
In his new role, Mr Lew will “build on ongoing efforts to strengthen IMDA and its partnerships with industry stakeholders and the community to forge a thriving and inclusive digital future for Singapore and Singaporeans,” said the statement by MCI.
Mr Lew’s tenure begins on 20 June, succeeding Mr Tan Kiat How who has served as the CE of IMDA since 1 January 2017. During his time as CE, Mr Tan led the merger of the then-Infocomm Development Authority and then-Media Development Authority to form IMDA.
The statement noted, “Under Mr Tan’s direction, IMDA took steps to build up the nation’s connectivity infrastructure such as the rollout of the 4th telco and awarding spectrum for 5G deployment. “
“Mr Tan is a strong proponent of innovation, from catalysing 5G enterprise trials, to supporting IMDA’s Open Innovation Platform and to the formation of a nationwide parcel locker network. Mr Tan was also instrumental in expanding Singapore’s digital connectivity by guiding IMDA alongside the Ministry of Trade and Industry (MTI) and MCI to successfully formalise Digital Economy Agreements with countries like Australia, New Zealand and Chile.”
Ms Yong Ying-I, Permanent Secretary for MCI, said, “I would like to thank Kiat How for his leadership and many contributions to IMDA. As Chief Executive of IMDA, he has built a strong and cohesive organisation with the merger of the then Infocomm Development Authority (IDA) and Media Development Authority (MDA). Working with the industry and community, Kiat How has also strengthened IMDA’s efforts to build a digitally inclusive society and an innovative and competitive digital economy. I wish him all the very best in his new endeavours.”
“I also welcome Chuen Hong to the MCI family, and look forward to his leadership as IMDA continues with its digitalisation push,” she added.
