Teo Swee Lian Appointed Singpost Chairman-designate As Simon Israel Prepares To Step Down

Teo Swee Lian, 65, has been appointed to the board of Singapore Post Limited (SingPost) as a Non-Independent Non-Executive Director and chairman-designate, with effect from 21 May 2025.

She is the sister of Teo Chee Hean, Singapore’s former Senior Minister.

Her appointment follows a formal search by the board to identify a successor to current chairman Simon Israel, 71. He will step down after SingPost’s next Annual General Meeting (AGM), concluding a nine-year term as chairman since 2016.

Teo Swee Lian will assume the role officially following the AGM.

Previously, Teo served on the board of Singapore Telecommunications Ltd (Singtel) and held other key positions across financial and regulatory institutions. Her past roles also include directorships at AIA Group Limited and the Dubai Financial Services Authority.

Her current appointments include Chairman and Non-Executive Independent Director at CapitaLand Integrated Commercial Trust Management Limited, as well as board positions at HSBC Holdings PLC, Clifford Capital Holdings Pte Ltd, and Clifford Capital Pte Ltd.

She has over 27 years of experience at the Monetary Authority of Singapore, bringing a strong financial policy and regulatory background to the role.

Simon Israel stated, “Swee Lian’s appointment concludes the Board renewal process, and she will lead the Board in the ongoing Strategic Reset of the Group.” He added that SingPost is “undergoing a significant transformation to adapt to the evolving postal, eCommerce, and logistics landscape.”

The board has indicated that her appointment is intended to support the company’s strategic oversight during this period of operational change and repositioning.

She is also involved in the non-profit sector, serving on the boards of CSCC Agape Fund and Caritas Singapore Community Council Limited.

The board thanked Israel for his “dedicated and tireless service” over the last nine years. Under his leadership, SingPost pursued international expansion and initiated a series of strategic shifts to strengthen its logistics capabilities.

The leadership transition at SingPost also comes on the heels of a turbulent period for the company.

In December 2024, SingPost dismissed three senior executives following an internal probe into a whistleblower’s report. The investigation concluded that there had been “grossly negligent” conduct in how internal matters were handled.

Those dismissed were group CEO Vincent Phang, group CFO Vincent Yik, and Li Yu, the chief executive of SingPost’s international business unit. All three have indicated their intention to contest the termination decisions.

At the time, Israel, in a filing to the Singapore Exchange, stated that the board had “carefully considered” the matter.

He said the action “reflects the board’s unwavering commitment to governance principles, prioritising what is right – even when it is more challenging in the short term – in the best interests of the company”.

In February 2025, SingPost also announced the layoff of 45 employees, part of a restructuring exercise it described as a move to “right-size and devolve corporate functions to its business units”. The company maintained that this exercise was unrelated to the whistleblower investigation or the earlier dismissals.

The restructuring led to the exit of five other senior executives, including the group chief information officer and the group chief people officer.

Despite the upheaval, SingPost reported a full-year net profit of S$245.1 million (approximately US$188 million) for the financial year ended 31 March 2025. The profit more than doubled the previous year’s figure, largely attributed to the divestment of its Australia business.

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