Chew Choon Seng
Encyclopedia
Chew Choon Seng is the former Chief Executive Officer
of Singapore Airlines
(SIA).
He is currently the Chairman of both Singapore Exchange
and Singapore Tourism Board
, Rome
, Sydney
, Los Angeles
and London
. After heading the Planning and Marketing divisions at the airline's corporate headquarters, he was appointed CEO in June 2003.
He also served as the Chairman of the Singapore Aircraft Leasing Enterprise
and was the directors of various SIA subsidiaries including Singapore Airport Terminal Services
Limited, SIA Engineering Company
, and Virgin Atlantic Airways
, in which SIA holds a 49 per cent equity stake. He was the Chairman of SilkAir
, a fully owned subsidiary of SIA when SilkAir Flight 185
crashed on 19 December 1997 en route from Jakarta's Soekarno-Hatta International Airport
to Singapore Changi Airport
.
Whilst Chief Executive Officer, he was credited for maintaining the airline's strong record of profitability, but has later been widely critised for failing to capitalise on strong passenger and cargo growth within the Asia Pacific region during his tenure. He has also been criticised for his sale of ground handling subsidiary Sats, his reluctance to order new aircraft and for failing to contain a drop in service standards. He has also been criticised for not intervening in the operations of Tiger Airways, which led to the carrier's grounding in Australia in 2011.
He relinquished his position as Chief Executive Officer
(CEO) of Singapore Airlines
(SIA) at the end of 2010 and assuming the post of Chairman at Singapore Exchange
(SGX) and Singapore Tourism Board
(STB) and board member of Government of Singapore Investment Corporation
.
He was named the Leading Singapore CEO (Singapore Airlines) in the fifth Annual Thomson Reuters
Extel Asia Pacific Survey
from the then University of Singapore, Chew graduated with a Master's degree in operations research
and management studies from the Imperial College
.
Chief executive officer
A chief executive officer , managing director , Executive Director for non-profit organizations, or chief executive is the highest-ranking corporate officer or administrator in charge of total management of an organization...
of Singapore Airlines
Singapore Airlines
Singapore Airlines Limited is the flag carrier airline of Singapore. Singapore Airlines operates a hub at Changi Airport and has a strong presence in the Southeast Asia, East Asia, South Asia, and "Kangaroo Route" markets...
(SIA).
He is currently the Chairman of both Singapore Exchange
Singapore Exchange
Singapore Exchange Limited is an investment holding company located in Singapore and providing different services related to securities and derivatives trading and others. SGX is a member of the World Federation of Exchanges and the Asian and Oceanian Stock Exchanges FederationSingapore Exchange...
and Singapore Tourism Board
Singapore Tourism Board
The Singapore Tourism Board is a statutory board under the Ministry of Trade and Industry of Singapore, tasked to promote the country's tourism industry.-History:...
Career
Chew joined SIA in 1972 and held senior assignments for Administration, covering finance, treasury, corporate planning, human resources, legal and corporate affairs in TokyoTokyo
, ; officially , is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan. Tokyo is the capital of Japan, the center of the Greater Tokyo Area, and the largest metropolitan area of Japan. It is the seat of the Japanese government and the Imperial Palace, and the home of the Japanese Imperial Family...
, Rome
Rome
Rome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...
, Sydney
Sydney
Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...
, Los Angeles
Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles , with a population at the 2010 United States Census of 3,792,621, is the most populous city in California, USA and the second most populous in the United States, after New York City. It has an area of , and is located in Southern California...
and London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
. After heading the Planning and Marketing divisions at the airline's corporate headquarters, he was appointed CEO in June 2003.
He also served as the Chairman of the Singapore Aircraft Leasing Enterprise
Singapore Aircraft Leasing Enterprise
BOC Aviation, formerly named Singapore Aircraft Leasing Enterprise , is a company engaged in Commercial Aircraft Sales and Leasing, with headquarters in Singapore and offices in the UK and the United States. Owned by the Bank of China, the company provides operating lease and fleet financing...
and was the directors of various SIA subsidiaries including Singapore Airport Terminal Services
Singapore Airport Terminal Services
SATS Ltd. , commonly abbreviated as SATS is the chief ground-handling and in-flight catering service provider at Singapore Changi Airport. SATS controls about 80% of Changi airport's ground handling and catering business....
Limited, SIA Engineering Company
SIA Engineering Company
SIA Engineering Company Limited , commonly abbreviated as SIAEC is a major provider of aircraft maintenance, repair and overhaul services in the Asia-Pacific and is part of the Singapore Airlines Group. The Company has a client base of more than 80 international carriers and aerospace equipment...
, and Virgin Atlantic Airways
Virgin Atlantic Airways
Virgin Atlantic Airways Limited is a British airline owned by Sir Richard Branson's Virgin Group and Singapore Airlines...
, in which SIA holds a 49 per cent equity stake. He was the Chairman of SilkAir
SilkAir
SilkAir Private Limited is an airline based in Singapore. It is a wholly owned subsidiary of Singapore Airlines and operates scheduled passenger services from Singapore to 31 cities in Southeast Asia, South Asia and China. It has its head office on the fifth storey of SIA Superhub 1...
, a fully owned subsidiary of SIA when SilkAir Flight 185
SilkAir Flight 185
SilkAir Flight 185, a Boeing 737-36N, registration 9V-TRF, was a scheduled passenger flight from Jakarta, Indonesia to Singapore, which crashed on 19 December 1997 into the Musi River after abruptly plunging from its 35,000-foot cruise altitude, killing all 97 passengers and 7 crew on board.The...
crashed on 19 December 1997 en route from Jakarta's Soekarno-Hatta International Airport
Soekarno-Hatta International Airport
Soekarno–Hatta International Airport , popularly abbreviated SHIA or Soetta is the main airport serving the greater Jakarta area on the island of Java, Indonesia. The airport is named after the first President of Indonesia, Soekarno, and the first vice-president, Mohammad Hatta. The airport is...
to Singapore Changi Airport
Singapore Changi Airport
Singapore Changi Airport , Changi International Airport, or simply Changi Airport, is the main airport in Singapore. A major aviation hub in Southeast Asia, it is about north-east from the commercial centre in Changi, on a site....
.
Whilst Chief Executive Officer, he was credited for maintaining the airline's strong record of profitability, but has later been widely critised for failing to capitalise on strong passenger and cargo growth within the Asia Pacific region during his tenure. He has also been criticised for his sale of ground handling subsidiary Sats, his reluctance to order new aircraft and for failing to contain a drop in service standards. He has also been criticised for not intervening in the operations of Tiger Airways, which led to the carrier's grounding in Australia in 2011.
He relinquished his position as Chief Executive Officer
Chief executive officer
A chief executive officer , managing director , Executive Director for non-profit organizations, or chief executive is the highest-ranking corporate officer or administrator in charge of total management of an organization...
(CEO) of Singapore Airlines
Singapore Airlines
Singapore Airlines Limited is the flag carrier airline of Singapore. Singapore Airlines operates a hub at Changi Airport and has a strong presence in the Southeast Asia, East Asia, South Asia, and "Kangaroo Route" markets...
(SIA) at the end of 2010 and assuming the post of Chairman at Singapore Exchange
Singapore Exchange
Singapore Exchange Limited is an investment holding company located in Singapore and providing different services related to securities and derivatives trading and others. SGX is a member of the World Federation of Exchanges and the Asian and Oceanian Stock Exchanges FederationSingapore Exchange...
(SGX) and Singapore Tourism Board
Singapore Tourism Board
The Singapore Tourism Board is a statutory board under the Ministry of Trade and Industry of Singapore, tasked to promote the country's tourism industry.-History:...
(STB) and board member of Government of Singapore Investment Corporation
Government of Singapore Investment Corporation
The Government of Singapore Investment Corporation Private Limited is a sovereign wealth fund established by the Government of Singapore in 1981 to manage Singapore's foreign reserves...
.
He was named the Leading Singapore CEO (Singapore Airlines) in the fifth Annual Thomson Reuters
Thomson Reuters
Thomson Reuters Corporation is a provider of information for the world's businesses and professionals and is created by the Thomson Corporation's purchase of Reuters Group on 17 April 2008. Thomson Reuters is headquartered at 3 Times Square, New York City, USA...
Extel Asia Pacific Survey
Education
After completing his first degree in mechanical engineeringMechanical engineering
Mechanical engineering is a discipline of engineering that applies the principles of physics and materials science for analysis, design, manufacturing, and maintenance of mechanical systems. It is the branch of engineering that involves the production and usage of heat and mechanical power for the...
from the then University of Singapore, Chew graduated with a Master's degree in operations research
Operations research
Operations research is an interdisciplinary mathematical science that focuses on the effective use of technology by organizations...
and management studies from the Imperial College
Imperial College London
Imperial College London is a public research university located in London, United Kingdom, specialising in science, engineering, business and medicine...
.