SINGAPORE — Six months after sacking its previous chief for “personal indiscretions”, the National Kidney Foundation (NKF) has appointed Mr Tim Oei as its new chief executive officer (CEO).

Mr Oei, 58, a lawyer by training, is the CEO of voluntary welfare group AWWA, which provides community-based programmes and services to support disadvantaged groups. He will take over the reins at the NKF from Sept 4. 

The foundation said on Wednesday (May 31) in a press statement that a five-member committee picked Mr Oei after a five-month selection process involving more than 50 candidates. The committee was led by Human Capital Leadership Institute chief executive Wong Su-Yen.

Mr Oei accepted the post last month, but he will have to serve his resignation notice period at AWWA until August.

On joining the charity, which has seen its past CEOs embroiled in high-profile scandals, Mr Oei told TODAY that he has “no concerns about stepping into the NKF”.

He declined to comment further about his new appointment, adding that more details would come when he takes over officially.

In a statement yesterday, NKF chairman Koh Poh Tiong said Mr Oei’s vast experience in the voluntary welfare sector would “help bring the NKF into a new phase of development”, to continue carrying out the foundation’s mission to serve needy kidney patients in Singapore.

Over at AWWA, the search is on for a new CEO to fill Mr Oei’s post. During the transition, AWWA chairperson Janice Ang would work with the organisation’s board members to ensure the duties of the CEO are covered, the association’s spokesperson said.

AWWA described Mr Oei’s tenure as one where the organisation “grew significantly, including breaking new grounds”, citing last year’s opening of an inclusive pre-school Kindle Garden as an example.

Mr Oei joined AWWA in 2008 as its chief operations officer before being promoted to CEO the following year. 

Before that, he was the general counsel (head of department) at Jurong Port, and director of practice management for South-east Asia and India at AT Kearney, a management consulting firm. 

Within the social service sector here, he is a member of the ComCare committee of management with the Ministry of Social and Family Development, and a board member of Lien Centre for Social Innovation.

He is also part of the social service talent development panel at the National Council of Social Service.

Last November, the NKF sacked its then-CEO Edmund Kwok for a “personal indiscretion” involving a male employee, and a police report was lodged. A police spokesperson told TODAY on Wednesday that Mr Kwok’s case is still under investigation, and no formal charges have been filed.

This was the second time in over 10 years that the non-profit organisation’s top leadership had run into trouble. The foundation had assured then that its finances, operations and services would not be affected. 

Mrs Eunice Tay, a former NKF CEO, took over as interim head until a new CEO is found. 

In 2005, NKF CEO TT Durai was found to have mismanaged funds and was living a lavish lifestyle using money raised by the charity. He was later convicted of corruption and jailed three months.