Come November, there will be change of leadership at the Infocomm Development Authority of Singapore (IDA) as Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Mr Chan Yeng Kit passes the baton to Rear Admiral (RADM) Ronnie Tay.
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| RADM Tay: I look forward to joining IDA, and being involved in the exciting and fast-growing infocomm sector. |
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| Mr Chan: I am privileged to have led the team at IDA to champion the transforming power of infocomm. |
RADM Tay, who will be joining IDA from 19 November 2007, has held various key command and staff appointments in the Singapore Armed Forces since 1981. He was most recently Chief of Navy, a position he has held since 1 April 2003. As Chief of Navy, RADM Tay led the transformation of the Republic of Singapore Navy into a naval force characterised by cutting-edge technologies and new fighting doctrines, and capable of a broader spectrum of operations.
On his appointment to the IDA, RADM Tay said, “I look forward to joining IDA, and being involved in the exciting and fast-growing infocomm sector, as well as promoting the use of infocomm to make a positive impact for Singapore.”
Mr Chan Yeng Kit, who has served as IDA CEO since 3 January 2005, will be returning to the Administrative Service for another posting after attending the Advanced Management Programme at The Wharton School at University of Pennsylvania.
During his tenure at IDA, Mr Chan led the development of the Intelligent Nation 2015 or iN2015 masterplan. During this time, the infocomm industry recorded an all-time high growth, with total revenue reaching S$45.4 billion in 2006.
Under Mr Chan’s leadership, IDA rolled out various initiatives to develop infrastructure and promote the local infocomm industry and greater infocomm adoption in sectors such as the Government, healthcare, education and tourism. One notable initiative is Wireless@SG, where users can enjoy free Internet access from some 5,600 hotspots throughout the island, thus making Singapore one of the first cities in the world to enjoy such pervasive public wireless access. This is also part of the Next Generation National Infocomm Infrastructure, where together with the deployment of ultra high speed wired broadband network, Singapore will offer a seamless and intelligent infocomm infrastructure that will enable the country to gain a competitive edge in an increasingly globalised and connected world.
“It has been an exciting journey these last three years, continuing the pioneering efforts started in the 1980s to use infocomm technologies for Singapore’s economic and social development,” said Mr Chan. “I am privileged to have led the team at IDA to champion the transforming power of infocomm. I am also grateful to have had the tremendous support from the industry and our partners, which contributed to our many achievements.”