Top women in tech driving Singapore’s digital economy across SGX listcos, global giants
The professionals named in the SG 100 Women in Tech list hail from diverse backgrounds spanning AI governance, cybersecurity and computational science
[SINGAPORE] From government bodies to Fortune 500 companies, women are filling top tech roles across various sectors in Singapore.
The biennial SG 100 Women in Tech list, unveiled at the Tech3 Forum by Minister for Digital Development and Information Josephine Teo on Friday (Aug 29), celebrated outstanding female leaders in the sector.
The list – an initiative by the Singapore Computer Society and supported by the Infocomm Media Development Authority – was launched in 2020 and drew a total of 635 nominations for its fourth edition this year.
“This year’s honourees span the breadth of tech leadership in Singapore, from chiefs of artificial intelligence (AI) and heads of technology innovation to directors of cybersecurity steering high-impact initiatives across the public and private sectors,” the press statement said.
“Many are distinguished alumni, professors, and researchers at leading higher education institutions, bringing expertise in AI governance, digital forensics, national security systems, blockchain, semiconductors, and computational science,” it added.
The Business Times takes a look at 10 of the top female professionals honoured in this year’s edition of the list.
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Audrey Ong, Keppel
Enterprise innovator and AI transformation leader Audrey Ong is the director of transformation and innovation at asset manager Keppel .
In her role, Ong leads Keppel’s journey towards an AI-enabled future and oversees the adoption of new ideas across the organisation.
She serves on the board of the Smart Nation Chapter of SGTech, the leading trade association of Singapore’s technology industry.
An accredited director with the Singapore Institute of Directors, Ong was appointed as a director of Singapore Gymnastics for a two-year term from 2021 to 2023.
According to her LinkedIn page, she majored in political science and economics at the National University of Singapore and spent a five-month stint as a journalist intern at The Straits Times in 2006 – where she covered topics from fashion to food.
Rachel Teo, Google
Protein biochemist turned tech policy leader Rachel Teo is the head of government affairs and public policy for Singapore at Google – where she tackles online safety and champions digital inclusion.
Teo’s work on scam prevention has been developed into a global playbook that guides regional and international strategy in combating digital fraud.
Before Google, Teo worked at the Economic Development Board and PwC Zurich.
Beyond work, she is a member of the CHIJ board of management and the Media Literacy Council – a group of public and private sector players appointed by the Ministry of Digital Development and Information (MDDI) to promote media literacy and safe online behaviour.
A nature lover, Teo’s interests also include mentoring, aeroponics and gospel choir music.
Veronica Tan, Cyber Security Agency of Singapore
Veronica Tan is director of safer cyberspace at the Cyber Security Agency of Singapore, a national body managed by the MDDI that oversees Singapore’s online spaces.
Tan’s leadership in helping organisations adopt cybersecurity best practices extends beyond Singapore. She works with companies across the region, in markets such as Malaysia, Thailand, the Philippines, Abu Dhabi and Brunei.
She is a recipient of the Top 30 Women in Security Asean Region (2022) honour, which is conferred on women who have made significant contributions to advancing the security industry.
An alumnus of Raffles Institution and Nanyang Technological University, Tan graduated from university with a degree in electrical and electronic engineering, according to her LinkedIn page.
Soo Mei May, Dell Technologies
Soo Mei May is chief of AI and global solutions specialist at Dell Technologies, where she is involved in the company’s AI innovation, governance strategy and customer engagement across the Asia-Pacific (Apac).
She also leads the development of generative AI (GenAI) applications and demystifies complex concepts for business leaders, in the spirit of making AI accessible.
In an interview with Her World, Soo shared that her journey into the tech world began with a love for economics and statistics. She also told the publication that, apart from being driven by a sense of purpose, her passion for the field is fuelled by how data has the potential to be transformed into positive real-world outcomes.
She was named a Top 10 AI Leader in Apac by AI Magazine.
Lim Yean Sam, GIC
Lim Yean Sam is senior vice-president of the technology group at GIC.
Before her strategic role at the sovereign wealth fund, Lim began her career as a web developer in the insurance industry and has more than two decades of experience in Singapore’s financial services sector under her belt.
She has led digital transformation and cybersecurity initiatives, as well as managed large-scale IT systems.
Beyond the professional realm, Lim volunteers with the Red Cross and is a mentor at the Singapore Management University (SMU).
Chen Hong, Singtel
Chen Hong, the chief information officer of Singtel , has spent more than thirty years in the tech and telco sectors.
The industry veteran oversees Singtel’s IT strategy, technology infrastructure, systems and digital transformation initiatives.
An advocate for diversity and inclusion, she champions the professional growth of women within Singtel, as the executive champion of the company’s Women and Allies Network.
She is a winner of the CIO100 Asean Awards 2024, which honour top tech leaders across South-east Asia and Hong Kong.
Quinny Lei, StarHub
Quinny Lei is the vice-president of corporate business systems at StarHub . In the role, she leads transformation and focuses on driving financial digitalisation as well as optimising productivity tools.
Lei is an advocate for workforce optimisation. Prior to joining StarHub, she worked at Grab, and contributed to the company’s enterprise-wide transformation.
There, she led its future-of-sales initiative, re-engineering systems and processes to support scalable growth.
Dr Eleni Dimokidis, Amazon Web Services
Dr Eleni Dimokidis is the head of healthcare technology for Apac and Japan at Amazon Web Services. The healthcare technologist leads nationwide transformations for governments in her role.
Her scope of work covers clinical systems and developing novel agentic AI applications that augment clinical decision-making, while preserving human oversight.
With a doctorate in regenerative medicine and a bachelor of laws degree, among her various academic qualifications, she holds fellowships at Georgetown University in Washington, DC, and SMU’s Yong Pung How School of Law.
She has been recognised as a Young Global Leader by the World Economic Forum.
Sarmista Mondol, IBM Consulting
Sarmista Mondol is a business transformation and IBM Garage leader at IBM Consulting.
Her work encompasses innovation, social impact and inclusive leadership. She has led projects that involve using GenAI to improve productivity, learning and development and business results.
With a commitment to using technology for good, Mondol has led the design of an AI-based disaster resilience platform in Indonesia that helps local governments better predict and respond to climate-linked crises.
She has collaborated with Singapore’s Ministry of Manpower on a GenAI-powered training initiative to protect migrant domestic workers from scams.
As an advocate of inclusive hiring and diversity strategies, Mondol leads the WomenTech Network in Singapore.
Amrita Saha, Salesforce
Lead research scientist at Salesforce Amrita Saha spearheads high-impact research and applied AI initiatives at work.
Her efforts, which include the development of a large language model (LLM)-based platform that automates IT operations, have expanded Salesforce Singapore’s research footprint.
Saha’s research focuses on solving complex language-centric problems and building scalable, enterprise-grade AI solutions.
With more than 12 years of industry experience in natural language processing, deep learning, GenAI and LLMs under her belt, she has authored 41 peer-reviewed papers published in top-tier publications and has filed 38 US patents.
She has also mentored more than 15 students from leading universities.
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