MELISSA OW has been named as the new chief executive of Singapore Tourism Board. She commences the role on June 1 and takes over from Keith Tan, the city state’s Ministry of Trade and Industry announced.
Ow was seconded to Singapore’s Economic Development Bureau in June 2020, and was most recently executive vice president for the customer experience, marketing and investment facilitation.
She played a key role in transforming the EDB’s B2B sales and marketing model while driving the global promotion of Singapore’s business brand in Europe, US, China and Japan.
More… Business events top list in Singapore recovery plan
Ow was previously deputy chief executive at Singapore Tourism Board where she led efforts to raise Singapore’s profile as a host for premier events and tourism investments.
Keith Tan served as the board’s CEO from October 2018, and led the anchoring of world-class events in Singapore and is credited with growing the city as “Global-Asia hub” for business events, while championing sustainability and wellness in the city’s tourism strategy.
“When the Covid-19 pandemic hit and international borders were closed, Keith guided the tourism sector to support the fight against Covid-19,” the Ministry of Trade and Industry said in a statement.
Backgrounder… Singapore tourism’s toughest year ever
“Under his leadership, hotels, cruise lines and MICE venues rallied to serve as dedicated facilities for recovery and care, while tourist guides and displaced workers were deployed to support national efforts.
“Mr Tan also guided efforts to safely reopen the tourism sector from late 2021, leading to the resumption of large-scale business and leisure events and the full reopening of tourism facilities and infrastructure in 2022.”
