News portal AsiaOne names mm2 Asia's Sean Ler as its new CEO

DIGITAL news site AsiaOne Online, a joint venture between mainboard-listed mm2 Asia and SPH Invest, has appointed Sean Ler as its chief executive officer (CEO).

Effective June 16, he will take over the role from Chang Long Jong, interim CEO of AsiaOne and group CEO of mm2 Asia. Mr Chang remains as mm2 Asia's group CEO and on AsiaOne's board of directors.

SPH Invest is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Singapore Press Holdings (SPH), which publishes The Business Times. AsiaOne was founded by T39  in 1995, before content producer and cinema operator 1B0  : 1B0 0% acquired a 51 per cent stake in 2018.

Mr Ler will oversee AsiaOne's strategy to grow audiences both locally and regionally, the digital content portal announced in a statement on Monday evening.

"We will continue to deliver relevant and high-quality content while increasing our offerings. Audiences can look forward to more diverse content from the region, including those in Chinese," he said.

Mr Ler has more than 18 years of experience in business operations and strategy. He joined mm2 Asia last month as head of group digital strategy.

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Before that, he was Temasek Foundation's head of programmes and partnerships, spearheading Covid-19 community projects such as the distribution of masks and hand sanitisers. He had also held various roles in the Singapore Navy, the Prime Minister's Office and the Ministry of Home Affairs.

Chan Cheow-Pong, SPH's head of media strategy and an AsiaOne board director, noted that Mr Ler's "strong leadership qualities will help chart a new course for AsiaOne towards excellence in digital media", and that his background in digital outreach and community building is expected to strengthen the brand.

Mr Chang from mm2 Asia said that Mr Ler's "significant public and private sector experience will be invaluable as we continue to expand and grow in Asia".

AsiaOne focuses on social news and trending topics in Singapore, Malaysia and the region. According to the statement, it is the third most-read news site in Singapore, with more than five million unique users monthly.

Shares of mm2 Asia finished Monday at seven Singapore cents, down 0.4 cent or 5.4 per cent. SPH's stock fell S$0.01 or 0.6 per cent to close at S$1.81.