Founding CEO of Singapore’s Gardens by the Bay, Kiat W Tan, will step down from his role on February 15, to be succeeded by current COO, Felix Loh.
With a career built around the stewardship of nature, Tan has dedicated over 30 years to conserving the natural heritage in an increasingly urbanised Singapore.
He was instrumental in the conceptualisation and development of Gardens by the Bay, and has also held several senior appointments, including founding CEO of National Parks Board from 1990 to 2006.
Envisioning Singapore as a “City in a Garden”, Tan intensified Singapore’s green spaces through the development of more green lungs and corridors. He also laid out the master plan for the redevelopment of Singapore Botanic Gardens and spearheaded its transformation into a world-class botanical institution.
He introduced the Singapore Garden Festival in 2006 and was instrumental in helping Singapore win the opportunity to host the 20th World Orchid Conference in 2011.
After his retirement, Tan will continue to play an important role in the progress of the Gardens as corporate advisor. This will include providing landscape and horticultural advice for the upcoming development of the Founders’ Memorial at Bay East Garden.
His successor, Loh, a horticulturist by training, joined the Gardens four years ago and has more than 20 years of experience in parks management, horticulture and landscape industry development, and policy development.
A former National Parks Board scholar, Loh had also served in the Ministry of National Development in various capacities, overseeing infrastructure policies, human resource, finance and corporate development functions.
