Tuesday, April 9, 2024
Today, Changi Airport Group (CAG) unveiled a change in its leadership team. Mr Lee Seow Hiang, who has served as the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) for the past 15 years, will resign from his position effective 1 July 2024. In addition, he will relinquish his roles as a Director on the CAG Board and as Chairman of both the Changi Airports International (CAI) and Jewel Changi Airport Development boards.
Mr Yam Kum Weng has been selected by the CAG Board to take over the CEO responsibilities from Mr Lee. Starting from 1 July 2024, Mr Yam will also join the CAG Board as a Director and will serve as the Chairman of the CAI Board. Currently, he is the Executive Vice President of Airport Development at CAG, overseeing the significant Changi East project and Terminal 5 (T5). Details of his professional background can be found in the Annex.
Mr Lee’s journey with CAG began on 1 July 2009, when Changi Airport transitioned to a corporatised entity under his founding leadership. Over 15 years, he spearheaded CAG’s efforts to enhance Changi’s status as a leading air hub in South East Asia, connecting to over 150 destinations globally. His tenure witnessed significant infrastructure developments, including the inauguration of Terminal 4, the enhancement and expansion of Terminals 1 and 2, and the opening of the Jewel Changi Airport in 2019, which collectively increased the airport’s capacity to 90 million passengers annually.
Under Mr Lee’s leadership, Changi Airport has been recognized globally with numerous awards, reflecting the improved Changi Experience for passengers and visitors alike. He has also been instrumental in laying the groundwork for the future Changi East project, including Terminal 5, with construction expected to commence next year after a pause due to the pandemic.
For his exemplary service, Mr Lee was awarded the Bintang Bakti Masyarakat (The Public Service Star Medal) in 2022, recognizing his leadership during the COVID-19 pandemic. He also received the Medal of Commendation (Gold) at the 2023 May Day Awards for his efforts in supporting labour movement initiatives and was named Outstanding Chief Executive of the Year at the Singapore Business Awards in 2018, highlighting his role in maintaining Changi Airport’s position as a premier global air hub.
Paying tribute to Mr Lee’s many years of dedicated service, Mr Tan Gee Paw, Chairman of CAG, said, “The Board Directors and I thank Seow Hiang for his immense contributions to CAG and Changi Airport. In the last decade and a half, Seow Hiang’s vision transformed Changi into the airport it is today – a strong air hub with an extensive network of city links, providing an extraordinary experience and supporting Singapore’s economy.
“As CEO, Seow Hiang kept CAG financially strong, and stable during the pandemic years. We are especially appreciative of his management during the Covid-19 period which saw travel demand plummet and CAG’s business fundamentals severely impacted. Despite the many challenges, Seow Hiang, with the support of his colleagues and airport partners, steered the company through the crisis and we have emerged in better shape. It is to the credit of CAG’s management team led by Seow Hiang, that Changi Airport’s passenger traffic has already surpassed 2019’s pre-pandemic levels in February and March 2024.”
Mr Tan added, “In considering a replacement for Seow Hiang, the Board carefully reviewed its options, recognising that Changi Airport is a critical infrastructure, and leadership continuity is vital to take forward CAG’s plans. A key undertaking for CAG is the mega-development of Changi East and T5 which is entering a critical phase in the coming years. At the same time, CAG faces the challenge of ensuring smooth airport operations as passenger traffic at Changi Airport continues to recover post-Covid.
“The Board is confident that Kum Weng, as a senior executive with many years of experience leading Singapore’s air hub development and airport management in both the Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore and CAG, is best suited to anchor the twin challenges of running an operationally-intensive airport while ensuring the success of the Changi East/ T5 programme. He has a deep appreciation of the interests of the Singapore air hub and Changi Airport’s strategic role, and strong operational experience to ensure Changi Airport continues to run smoothly. With his strong ties with aviation partners, Kum Weng is well-placed to work synergistically with them to grow Changi Airport as a key air hub and a leading international airport.”
Mr Lee said, “It has been a gift of grace and a privilege of a lifetime to be a member of this special Changi community for these incredible years. The last 15 years have been an exhilarating journey of building the best air hub for Singapore. We worked hard to double the size and vibrancy of our air hub to almost 70 million passengers a year but lost it all during the Covid years. Yet, we kept our fundamentals strong and today, we are emerging stronger on our full recovery.
“Through it all, we endeavoured to build CAG as a company that grows all the people who walk through her corridors, putting fun into our hub fundamentals, and bringing joy, wonder and delight to all whom we serve. We have given every ounce of energy to this task and the journey continues. This is a journey to be built, not just travelled, and I am leaving with the deepest confidence that, under Kum Weng’s leadership, the best days for the Changi air hub are yet to be.
“And as they say: sometimes reality exceeds even our biggest dreams.”
Wednesday, May 1, 2024
Wednesday, May 1, 2024
