C-suite Webinar Lunch: In conversation with Keith Tan, CE, Singapore Tourism Board

Keith assumed the appointment of chief executive of the Singapore Tourism Board on 29 October 2018.

From 2014 to 2018, he served as the deputy secretary (policy) in the Ministry of Defence, where he strengthened Singapore's international defence partnerships, led MINDEF's longer-term strategic planning and guided MINDEF's strategic communications and public engagement efforts.

From 2011 to 2013, Mr Tan was senior director of the Public Service Division's PS21 Office, and concurrently held the appointment of institute director in the Institute of Governance and Policy at Singapore's Civil Service College. Mr Tan also served in the Ministry of Trade and Industry (MTI) as director of the Economics and Strategy Division (2008 - 2010) and the Foreign Economic Policy Division (2010 - 2013). From 2010 to 2013, he led Singapore's Free Trade Agreement (FTA) negotiations with the European Union, and also served in the negotiating team for the Trans-Pacific Partnership.

Mr Tan graduated with highest honours in English and comparative literature, and a certificate in Russian studies, from Princeton University. He also has a master degree in management from the Peter Drucker School of Management, Claremont Graduate University.

He was awarded the public administration medal (silver) in 2017. Mr Tan is married with four children.

Pamela Qiu is the Network Director of the South-east Asia chapter of The Economist Corporate Network. She advises multinational corporations on the latest economic, political and market developments affecting business in the Asia Pacific region. She regularly chairs Economist events and roundtables, and delivers custom briefings to senior business executives. She joined The Economist in June 2011.

Prior to joining The Economist Group, Pamela worked as a policy analyst and associate at the Singapore Ministry of Finance, where she worked on policies to tackle socio-economic problems such as inequality and unemployment. She also worked on policies that were featured in the Singapore Budget. From 2009 to 2011, she was a researcher for the Center for Public Economics at the Civil Service College, the Singapore government’s core institution for public policy and economics research. Her research areas included the role of government in markets, public private partnerships, privatisation, fiscal policy, and behavioural economics. From 2004 to 2006, Pamela also worked as a market analyst with Prudential Health Insurance, based in London.

Pamela holds a bachelor’s degree in economics and a master’s degree in development studies, both from the London School of Economics.