Former HDB chief Cheong Koon Hean joins Surbana Jurong’s board

PROFESSOR Cheong Koon Hean has been appointed as a board member of Surbana Jurong Group (SJ) with immediate effect, announced the urban, infrastructure and managed-services consulting firm on Monday (Jan 6).

Other members on SJ’s board include former politician Prof Yaacob Ibrahim and present Member of Parliament Desmond Choo.

Prof Cheong was previously chief executive of the Housing and Development Board from 2010 to 2020, and before that, the Urban Redevelopment Authority from 2004 to 2010.

During her time in both roles, SJ noted that she spearheaded major developments such as Marina Bay while also championing sustainable approaches in the planning and construction of over a million public housing homes.

SJ said Prof Cheong’s decades of experience and expertise will strengthen the firm’s ability to “deliver innovative, resilient, and sustainable solutions for the built environment”. 

Her leadership in international-scale urban development and commitment to sustainability brings “tremendous value” to SJ’s strategic direction, said SJ chairman Chaly Mah.

Sean Chiao, group chief executive of SJ, added: “Her guidance will be instrumental as we tackle complex challenges and drive innovative solutions that positively impact communities and ecosystems worldwide.”

Prof Cheong is a professor of practice at the Singapore University of Technology and Design.

She chairs both the Lee Kuan Yew Centre for Innovative Cities, as well as the Centre for Liveable Cities Advisory Panel under Singapore’s Ministry of National Development. She is also on the boards of the National University of Singapore and CapitaLand Group, and is Singapore’s non-resident ambassador to Finland.

“I look forward to contributing to the positive impact it is making, creating resilient, liveable, and inclusive cities that address today’s needs while safeguarding the future,” said Prof Cheong on her appointment to SJ’s board.

Beyond Singapore, she was previously a global Board Trustee of the Urban Land Institute, member of the World Economic Forum’s Real Estate and Urbanisation Council, and deputy president of the International Federation of Housing and Planning.