Former ST Engineering CEO Tan Pheng Hock dies at 68

TAN Pheng Hock, the former chief executive of ST Engineering , died on Tuesday (Mar 4) at the age of 68.

The industry veteran, who served as CEO from 2002 to 2016, was instrumental in growing the mainboard-listed group into a global company.

In a statement on Thursday, ST Engineering’s board and management said they were “deeply saddened” by Tan’s death. “He played a pivotal role in building a strong foundation for ST Engineering that continues to support our growth. His commitment and passion for ST Engineering will be fondly remembered by all of us,” it said.

Tan started his career as an engineer in ST Marine in 1981. He rose up the ranks and was appointed to the role of president and CEO of ST Engineering in early 2002, against the backdrop of the Sep 11 terrorist attacks in the United States, which had cast a shadow on the business environment.

During his tenure, the group had to contend with challenges posed by the severe acute respiratory syndrome (Sars) outbreak in 2003 and the global financial crisis in 2008.

Under his leadership, ST Engineering grew its business internationally through significant acquisitions and investments across its business sectors.

He also set up ST Engineering’s Advanced Engineering Centre, which developed future technologies and capabilities.

Tan stepped down from the position in September 2016.

At the time, ST Engineering’s then chairman Kwa Chong Seng described Tan as having led ST Engineering to “scale great heights” by developing the group from a Singapore-centric company into an integrated engineering group with a global presence. In 2014, it became the only Singapore company to make it to Forbes’ list of the world’s most innovative companies.

SEE ALSO

ST Engineering shares soar over 8% as analysts raise target price

ST Engineering drives gains for Singapore shares on Monday; STI up 0.3%

Tan himself received many accolades throughout his career. In 2012, he received the Best CEO Award at the Singapore Corporate Awards. He was named Asia’s Business Leader of the Year in 2013 by media group CNBC for his efforts in putting ST Engineering on the global map. He was also named Outstanding Chief Executive Officer of the Year 2013 at the Singapore Business Awards.

More recently, Tan served as a non-executive and independent director at property developer Frasers Property since 2017. He was a member of the group’s sustainability and risk management committee. He retired from office in 2025.

Panote Sirivadhanabhakdi, group CEO of Frasers Property, said in a Thursday statement that Tan was a “valued and respected member” of property player’s board.

“His wisdom, dedication and integrity left a lasting impact on those of us who had the privilege of working alongside him,” he said.

Tan was also appointed to the board of the Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore (CAAS) in 2017, and stepped down from the position in June 2024. During his tenure, he chaired the investment committee and was a member of the CAAS buildings and infrastructure committee and cybersecurity and data governance committee.

In a statement on Thursday, CAAS conveyed its condolences and said that Tan contributed significantly to CAAS’ work at a time when it was building up its system capabilities to support the growth of the Singapore aviation sector.

“Tan also guided the work of CAAS through the Covid-19 crisis in ensuring that the aviation ecosystem was able to bounce back stronger,” added the statement.

His friends, who kept in regular contact with him, had reported that he had been unwell recently. He previously suffered a mild stroke in July 2015 during his term as CEO of ST Engineering. He was discharged from hospital in August that year and was on medical leave until the end of September.