SMU president Lily Kong to take over from Mildred Tan as Tote Board chair from Jan 1

Singapore Management University's (SMU) president Professor Lily Kong will take over as chairperson of the Singapore Totalisator Board from Jan 1, 2027, the Ministry of Finance (MOF) announced on Thursday (Oct 29).

She takes over from Mildred Tan, who became Tote Board's chairman in January 2021.

Prof Kong, 62, a geographer by training, made history in 2018, when she became the first Singaporean to head SMU, and also the first Singaporean woman to lead any university in Singapore.

An internationally recognised scholar in geography and urban studies, Prof Kong's areas of expertise include urban transformation, cultural policy, creative economies and social cohesion.

Her research and leadership have earned her international recognition, including being ranked among the top two per cent of scientists in her field.

Beyond academia, the 62-year-old also holds leadership and advisory roles across various national and international institutions.

She has also served on Singapore's Public Service Commission since 2009.

Prof Kong was inducted into the Singapore Women's Hall of Fame in 2022.

She has also been conferred national honours including the Public Administration Medal (Silver), Public Service Star and Ministry of National Development Medallion.

Said Second Minister of Finance Indranee Rajah of Prof Kong's appointment: "With her extensive experience and deep familiarity with the community, I am confident that she will build on the strong foundations laid by Mrs Mildred Tan and lead Tote Board in building a better everyday for Singapore.”

MOF pays tribute to outgoing chair

MOF also paid tribute to the Tote Board's 68-year-old outgoing chairperson Tan.

It said that she had significantly strengthened Tote Board’s contributions to Singapore's social and community initiatives, with annual grant disbursements increasing by 16 per cent to more than $550 million.

In the last financial year, Tote Board supported over 1,000 ongoing grant projects led by more than 400 grantees and partners.

"She steered Tote Board towards an outcome-driven approach to create social impact, with a strong emphasis on accountability, effectiveness and sustainability of funded initiatives," MOF said.

The outgoing chairperson is also credited with championing digital transformation and organisational capability building, positioning Tote Board to respond effectively to evolving needs and deliver greater impact for Singapore.

"Under her stewardship, Tote Board has strengthened its impact, fostered meaningful partnerships, and remained a trusted partner in building a more caring and resilient society," Indranee said.

新加坡财政部周四（10月29日）宣布，新加坡管理大学（SMU）校长孔莉莉教授将于2027年1月1日起接任新加坡博彩管理局主席一职。

她接替了 Mildred Tan 的职位，Mildred Tan 于 2021 年 1 月成为 Tote Board 的主席。

现年 62 岁的孔教授是一位地理学专业的毕业生，她在 2018 年创造了历史，成为第一位担任新加坡管理大学校长的新加坡人，也是第一位领导新加坡任何大学的新加坡女性。

孔教授是国际公认的地理学和城市研究学者，他的专长领域包括城市转型、文化政策、创意经济和社会凝聚力。

她的研究和领导才能为她赢得了国际认可，包括跻身她所在领域前2%的科学家之列。

除了学术界之外，这位 62 岁的老人还在多个国家和国际机构中担任领导和顾问职务。

她自 2009 年起也一直在新加坡公共服务委员会任职。

孔教授于 2022 年入选新加坡女性名人堂。

她还被授予国家荣誉，包括公共行政奖章（银质）、公共服务之星和国家发展部奖章。

财政部第二部长英兰妮·拉贾在谈到孔教授的任命时说：“凭借她丰富的经验和对社区的深入了解，我相信她将在陈美玲女士奠定的坚实基础上，带领新加坡博彩管理局为新加坡创造更美好的未来。”

财政部向即将卸任的主席致敬

财政部也向即将卸任的博彩管理局主席陈先生（68岁）致敬。

声明称，她显著加强了新加坡博彩管理局对新加坡社会和社区倡议的贡献，年度拨款增加了 16%，超过 5.5 亿美元。

在上一个财政年度，Tote Board 为 400 多个受助者和合作伙伴领导的 1000 多个正在进行的资助项目提供了支持。

财政部表示：“她引导 Tote Board 采取以结果为导向的方式来创造社会影响，并高度重视资助项目的问责制、有效性和可持续性。”

即将卸任的主席还因倡导数字化转型和组织能力建设而备受赞誉，使新加坡博彩管理局能够有效应对不断变化的需求，并为新加坡带来更大的影响。

“在她的领导下，博彩管理局的影响力不断增强，建立了有意义的合作伙伴关系，并一直是建设一个更有爱心和更有韧性的社会的值得信赖的合作伙伴，”英德拉妮说道。