Singapore – The Singapore Institute of Directors (SID) has appointed Emily Poon as its new chief executive officer, following an extensive search over several months.
She will join as CEO-designate from 1 March and succeed Terence Quek as CEO from 1 May.
Poon brings more than 20 years of experience and deep industry expertise from her role as former president, Asia Pacific, of Ogilvy Public Relations.
As an accredited director and SID member, she actively contributes to governance standards across corporate, academic, and public sector platforms.
She serves on the Industry Advisory Council at the National University of Singapore’s Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences, the Families for Life Council under the Ministry of Social and Family Development, and the executive committee of Singapore Management University’s Leading Executives and Directors Alumni Group.
SID Chair Yeoh Oon Jin said he looks forward to working with Poon to advance SID’s mission of transforming boards and empowering directors to champion good governance.
“The Council went through an extensive search for candidates, supported by an executive search firm. We were looking for someone with the right attributes to take SID forward: industry experience across geographies, passion about our mission, and a firm commitment in the belief that SID has an important role to play in raising standards of governance here and in the region,” Yeoh said.
Yeoh added, “I believe we have found the right person in Emily with her strong track record in leadership roles, deep expertise in engaging diverse stakeholders, building trusted communities and partnerships, as well as her advisory experience in boards and governance-related areas.”
Poon said she is delighted to join SID, an organisation with which she has a deep affiliation as a member and accredited director.
“I look forward to working with the Council and team at the Singapore Institute of Directors to further our mission at a time when the role of directors is transforming and becoming even more critical in a rapidly changing world. Singapore has a strong corporate governance ecosystem, and SID plays a distinctive role as the national association for directors,” she said.
“Having previously worked closely with boards and leadership teams to represent the perspectives of companies, I am privileged to now serve the director community. In the coming months, I look forward to listening closely to our members, engaging our partners, and building on the strong foundation and momentum laid by Terence and the team. My focus remains on supporting our members, nurturing a strong community of directors, and growing SID’s ecosystem of partnerships and influence in Singapore and internationally,” she emphasised.
Yeoh also thanked Quek for his contributions over the past four years, during which SID’s membership grew from 3,300 to more than 5,500, and member activities more than doubled.
Under his leadership, SID launched initiatives including the SID Accreditation Programme, SID Chairpersons Guild, and SID Board Academy, strengthened regional and international partnerships, and hosted the Global Network of Director Institutes meeting in Singapore for the first time last year.
Quek reminisced, “It has been an honour and a privilege to serve SID over the past few years as its CEO. I have received tremendous support from the Council, volunteers, partners and the Executive team – all of whom have helped us build on the strong foundation laid by many since 1998 to bring SID to where it is today.”
“SID is a national institution that not only serves its members, uplifts the directorship community, but also actively contributes to the ecosystem locally and beyond. I am confident that Emily and team will do a stellar job bringing the institution forward, and I look forward to continue serving the institution in my capacity as its member,” Quek concluded.
