MTI Permanent Secretary to join Temasek in senior leadership role

Gabriel Lim, Permanent Secretary (Policy) of the Ministry of Trade and Industry (MTI), is set to become the joint head of corporate strategy at Temasek on Oct 1, announced the company on Monday (Aug 5).

Lim, 48, will retire from his position in MTI on Sept 1 after 24 years of being in the public service, said the Public Service Division (PSD).

Some of Lim's notable roles prior to his current include being Principal Private Secretary to then Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong from 2011 to 2014 and Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of Communications and Information, now Ministry of Digital Development and Information, just before he joined MTI.

The PSD said that Lim contributed to MTI's efforts in growing Singapore's economy, creating viable jobs for Singaporeans, developing competitive local enterprises, and strengthening Singapore's international trade relations. 

"In the battle against the Covid-19 pandemic, Lim led MTI in developing support measures for businesses and was instrumental to Singapore's post-pandemic economic recovery," said PSD.

Lim was also awarded the Public Administration Medal (Gold) in 2020 in recognition of his contributions.

Minister-in-charge of the Public Service Chan Chun Sing thanked Lim for his service and said: "He has served with distinction in various ministries. I would like to express our appreciation for his leadership and outstanding contributions to the Public Service."

In addition to Lim's retirement, Jeffrey Siow, Second Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Manpower (MOM), will be appointed as Second Permanent Secretary of MTI and Dr Beh Swan Gin, Permanent Secretary (Development) of MTI, will be re-designated as Permanent Secretary of MTI with effect from Sept 1.

Lim to drive Temasek 2030 roadmap

Over at Temasek, Lim will join two other new hires to fill three newly-created senior leadership positions.

Industry veterans Eng Aik Meng and Dinesh Khanna will be appointed joint heads of the Product Development Group alongside existing head Juliet Teo. 

"Temasek is constantly strengthening our leadership bench. We develop and rotate our leaders to allow them to deepen domain knowledge and gain exposure for broader leadership positions," added the state investor. 

Lim will help develop and drive key corporate strategies to support Temasek's 10-year roadmap, T2023, which guides strategic planning in areas like portfolio make-up, building new technologies and institutional development.

This includes differentiating Temasek from its peers and strengthening relationships with partners and key stakeholders, stated Temasek.

"He will work alongside senior management and with teams across the organisation to position Temasek for long-term growth and success."

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bhavya.rawat@asiaone.com