Lew Chuen Hong

Chief Executive Officer, Infocomm Media Development Authority

Speaker

Mr Lew Chuen Hong was appointed Chief Executive Officer of the Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA) in June 2020.

IMDA oversees the Digital Tech and Media domains for Singapore and is unique in having four key roles. As an economic developer creating jobs, investing in innovation and R&D, driving enterprise digital transformation, and growing start-ups. As a progressive regulator, ensuring resilient digital infrastructure, as well as building a trusted data and AI ecosystem (concurrently as the Personal Data Protection Commission). As a social leveller championing digital inclusion and ensuring no one is left behind. As a digital diplomat, shaping global tech rules and norms. IMDA is therefore interdisciplinary by design and pushes boundaries by pulling levers across these four roles, as “Architects of Singapore’s Digital Future”.

Mr Lew graduated with a Bachelors in Biology (Honours and Distinction) and Masters in Neurobiology from Stanford University, USA. He holds a Masters in Management, as a Sloan Fellow of the Stanford Graduate School of Business, USA. He also attended the School of Economics and Management (SEM)’s Executive Course at TsingHua University in 2009.

Mr Lew joined IMDA following a distinguished 25-year career with the Republic of Singapore Navy where he reached the pinnacle position of Chief of Navy, serving from 2017 to 2020. Notable highlights include enhancing the Navy’s capabilities in next generation submarines, unmanned surface and aerial vehicles, and stealth-frigate capabilities. Operations include overseeing Singapore’s maritime security during the Trump-Kim summit. He was also conferred the SAF Overseas Service Medal as part of Singapore’s Naval deployment to the North Arabian Gulf, supporting the re-construction of Iraq.

In 2008, Mr Lew was seconded to the Ministry of Trade & Industry where he championed pro-enterprise policies to help local companies scale. He also drove the strategic review of the Research, Innovation, and Enterprise 2015 plan, which set out Singapore’s strategy and investments in growing our knowledge-driven economy.

Mr Lew serves on the Board of Singapore’s Office for Space Technology and Industry (OSTIn). He is Board Chairman of Pick Network and Board Director of SGTraDex. He Co-Chairs the Digital Trust Centre (Singapore’s AI Safety Institute), and is Commissioner on the International Telecommunication Union Broadband Commission, and member of the International Advisory Body on Submarine Cable Resilience. Mr Lew had previously served on the Boards of the Singapore Listed ST Engineering, Duke-NUS Graduate Medical School, the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore. He was Chairman of the School of Applied Science Advisory Committee Board, Republic Polytechnic.