Kathy Lai appointed National Arts Council CEO

SINGAPORE — The National Arts Council (NAC) will be helmed by new Chief Executive Officer Kathy Lai from Nov 1, the Ministry of Culture, Community and Youth (MCCY) announced today (Sept 27). Ms Lai will take over from Mr Benson Puah, who relinquished his position on Aug 1. Ms Yvonne Tham, currently covering CEO of NAC, will continue as Deputy CEO from Nov 1. As CEO, Ms Lai will sit on the NAC Board. Currently the Assistant CEO of IE Singapore, the Government agency driving Singapore’s external economy, Ms Lai is described by the MCCY as a “committed and self-driven leader with more than 20 years of experience in international trade, public sector administration and governance”, and a “skilled administrator with a love for the arts”. Ms Lai joined the Ministry of Trade and Industry (MTI) in 1987 and joined the former Trade Development Board (TDB), now IE Singapore, in 1996. During her time at IE Singapore, she was posted to the Singapore Embassy in Washington for a six-year stint, and managed international operations in South Asia, Middle East, Africa, Europe and America, as well as IE Singapore’s corporate development group, upon her return to Singapore. She has been Assistant CEO of IE Singapore since 2007. The MCCY announced on Aug 30 the 12th board of the NAC, with Mr Edmund Cheng stepping down as Chairman. Mr Cheng, who served on the Board for 11 years, is succeeded by Ambassador-at-Large Chan Heng Chee. Ms Chan was Singapore’s envoy to the United States from 1996 to 2012.