18 March 2022
SMRT appoints Ngien Hoon Ping as new Group CEO
1. The Board of Directors of SMRT Corporation Ltd (SMRT) is pleased to announce the appointment of Mr. Ngien Hoon Ping as its Group CEO with effect from 1 August 2022. Mr. Ngien succeeds current Group CEO, Mr. Neo Kian Hong, who will step down from the role. Mr. Ngien will join SMRT as a Board Director on 1 May 2022.
2. An Engineer by training and profession, Mr. Ngien holds an Electrical and Electronics Engineering degree from the University of Manchester, UK, and a Master of Science in Systems Engineering from the National University of Singapore. Since September 2020, he has helmed NTUC FairPrice Group’s Supply Chain Business as its CEO. At NTUC, he implemented supply chain digitalization and process enhancements to boost the resilience of Singapore's food supply chain and ensured continuity of Singapore’s food supply, especially during the Covid pandemic.
3. Prior to this, Mr. Ngien served as the Chief Executive of the Land Transport Authority (LTA) from 2016 to 2020. Mr. Ngien created multiple platforms for collaboration amongst engineers from LTA, Public Transport Operators and Original Equipment Manufacturers to deepen local rail engineering knowledge & expertise and strengthen the operation and maintenance of the MRT system. He and his team laid the foundation for a significant improvement in rail reliability & safety and led the delivery of infrastructure projects such as the Thomson-East Coast Line, Mandai Depot, and the new Lornie Highway.
4. Confident that the leadership succession will position SMRT well to capitalize on new growth and development opportunities in this digital age, Mr. Seah Moon Ming, Chairman SMRT Corporation said: “The Board has put in place a leadership succession plan with robust talent pipeline at different levels. We review it regularly to ensure relevance and currency. We welcome Hoon Ping to the SMRT family and are confident that with his experience in the transport sector as well as his more recent focus on digitalization and process improvements, Hoon Ping is well placed to lead SMRT forward in an era of disruption. My fellow directors and I look forward to working with him to pursue operational & business excellence and grow SMRT sustainably.”
5. Mr. Seah added: “The Board would also like to record its appreciation to Kian Hong for his service and contributions as Group CEO over the past four years. He oversaw a deepening of rail engineering capabilities and consistent delivery of high rail reliability. We have sustained Mean Kilometres Between Failures of more than one million train-km since 2019 and are continuing our journey of operational and service excellence. We wish him all the best in his future endeavours.”
6. To facilitate a smooth transition, Mr. Neo will be Advisor to the new Group GCEO from 1 Aug 2022 to 31 Oct 2022.
-End-