Singapore Press Holdings appoints Chua Hwee Song as new CFO; Tony Mallek to retire

MEDIA and property group Singapore Press Holdings (SPH) will take on a new chief financial officer (CFO) next year.

Private equity fund director Chua Hwee Song will start his service on April 1, 2018, after spending a month as CFO-designate.

Mr Chua, 50, is founder and managing director of Tembusu Ventures Pte Ltd.

His most recent role is as the group CFO and executive director of mainboard-listed real estate company CWG International Ltd - a post that he has held since June 2016.

Mr Chua was previously an independent director at CWG International for a year, and also held that post at Rowsley from 2013 to 2016.

A veteran of the Economic Development Board, he is also a chartered financial analyst and is a member of the CFO committee with the Institute of Singapore Chartered Accountants.

He replaces Anthony "Tony" Mallek, who will retire on March 31, 2018, after 15 years with SPH.

Mr Mallek, 63, has been SPH's CFO since 2010, after serving first as senior vice-president of finance and then as executive vice-president responsible for all finance, tax, treasury and investment functions.

In his retirement, he will still stay on as a consultant with the company, and will continue to assist deputy chief executive Anthony Tan with SPH's healthcare business.

Mr Mallek will also continue as a director of SPH Reit Management Pte Ltd and keep up with the Bidadari mixed-development site as a director of the joint venture companies.

SPH chairman Lee Boon Yang thanked Mr Mallek for his service, on behalf of the board and management, in a media statement.

"Besides his role as the group's CFO, he has helped to identify and spearhead some of our business diversification," Dr Lee added.

Ng Yat Chung, CEO of SPH, said: "I would like to thank Tony for his years of dedicated service to the company, during which we restructured our media business and expanded into new areas.

"He was especially instrumental in driving our property and healthcare ventures, as well as the formation of SPH Reit.

"I welcome Hwee Song into the SPH group, and look forward to his contributions as we chart new growth for the group."