Sapphire appoints Chew Yong Tian as independent director, member of nominating committee

MAINBOARD-LISTED Sapphire Corporation has appointed Chew Yong Tian as an independent director and a member of its nominating committee, it said on Monday.

Professor Chew is an adjunct professor at the Faculty of Engineering of the National University of Singapore (NUS), and has been a part-time professor at Jiangsu University of Science and Technology since 2017, Sapphire said in a filing with the Singapore Exchange on Monday evening.

He has also held a number of senior posts at NUS and was the university's deputy director of the Institute for Engineering Leadership and head of department of Mechanical Engineering.

Outside academia, Professor Chew has a track record of consultancy projects for government bodies and firms in South-east Asia, specialising in wind effects and hydraulic modelling, Sapphire said.

Professor Chew holds a Bachelor of Engineering (Hons), a Master of Engineering from the University of Western Australia, as well as a PhD from Cambridge University.

Wang Heng, chief executive officer of Sapphire, commented: "We believe his engineering expertise will be integral to Sapphire and Ranken as we continue to strive for excellence in the infrastructure and rail transit sector. We look forward to his contributions and guidance in the years ahead."

Said Professor Chew on his appointment: "I am honoured to be a part of Sapphire and look forward to working with the team to seize the exciting new opportunities offered by China's Belt and Road initiative. I hope to draw on my years of experience to make meaningful contributions to the group's growth."

Sapphire shares closed unchanged at S$0.205 on Monday before the announcement.