SBS Transit announces appointment of Acting Chief Executive Officer

SBS Transit has promoted its Chief Operating Officer, Mr Cheng Siak Kian, to Acting Chief Executive Officer, with effect from 1 March 2020.

Mr Cheng, 50, is no stranger to SBS Transit.  He joined SBS Transit in September 2015, where he cut his teeth in the operations and management of public transportation as a Senior Vice President in the bus operations division.  During his time there, he was an integral member of the tender team that was successful in its bid for the Seletar Bus Package, which was a first for the Company.

Subsequently in December 2016, he was posted to Australia to helm the Australia New South Wales operations of our parent company, ComfortDelGro.  He played an instrumental role in several business acquisitions, and moved the company into new areas such as non-emergency patient transportation and expanded its footprint to new states such as the Northern Territory and Queensland.

He returned to SBS Transit in July 2019 to assume the appointment of COO, to assist Mr Yang Ban Seng, the interim CEO, in the management of the Company.  Mr Yang is also concurrently the Managing Director and Group CEO of ComfortDelGro Corporation, the parent company of SBS Transit.

Prior to joining the ComfortDelGro Group, Mr Cheng served in a number of senior appointments in the Ministry of Defence and the Republic of Singapore Air Force.

He obtained a Bachelor of Electrical and Electronic Engineering (First Class) from the University of Manchester, United Kingdom and a Master of Business Administration from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, USA.

Mr Yang said Mr Cheng’s experience in running bus operations, both here and in Australia, have made him a natural choice for the leadership position in SBS Transit.

“One of the key areas Siak Kian needed to get up to speed on when he took on the role of COO SBS Transit, was that of the rail business.  He has boned up on this in double quick time and I am confident he will lead the Company to even greater heights,” he said.

Mr Lim Jit Poh, Chairman of both SBS Transit and ComfortDelGro, said Mr Cheng had transitioned well from the military environment to the private sector.  "As we grow the business, we have to look at talent from all disciplines.  Retired senior military personnel have been drilled in discipline and responsibility and have certain skill-sets.  At the end of the day it is about talent.  It doesn’t matter where they came from, but whether they can contribute to the Group.”

On his new appointment, Mr Cheng said: "I am greatly humbled by this latest appointment and would like to thank my entire SBS Transit team for their support these last eight months.  As a key operator in Singapore’s land transport system, we never take anything for granted.  We are constantly looking at ways to improve.  And now, as Singapore grapples with the ongoing COVID-19 outbreak, our immediate priority is to make sure we keep our buses and trains clean and safe for the travelling public and for our staff.”
 
With Mr Cheng’s appointment, Mr Yang will step down as CEO SBS Transit but will remain as its Executive Deputy Chairman.