MPA's first woman CEO wants to change perception of sector

Singapore

HER public relations handlers present her as the first woman chief executive of the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA). What they ought to highlight is that Quah Ley Hoon is in charge of regulating and promoting a sector that's not only dominated by men, but also shunned by some men who find it too tough.

The maritime sector is seen as an industry where workers do heavy-lifting, blue-collar jobs in ports and on ships and spend months in rough seas. But Ms Quah, a 42-year-old mother of three kids, says such a perception of the industry is outdated.