Ms Chang Hwee Nee to be appointed as the National Heritage Board's Chief Executive Officer

Ms Chang Hwee Nee (章慧霓), 54, will be appointed as Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the National Heritage Board (NHB) with effect from 1 May 2017. Ms Chang is currently Deputy Secretary (DS) (Planning) of the Ministry of National Development (MND). She served as a member of the NHB Board from 2009 to 2015 and has a strong interest in Singapore’s heritage.

Ms Chang, a President’s and Overseas Merit Scholar, graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Economics (Honours) from the University of Cambridge, United Kingdom, and has a Master’s degree in Public Administration from Harvard University. Prior to her appointment at MND in 2008, Ms Chang held senior positions in the Ministry of Education (MOE), Ministry of Health (MOH), Civil Service College and Ministry of Finance (MOF). Ms Chang received the Public Administration Medal (Gold) in 2016.

As DS (Planning) at MND, Ms Chang oversees a wide range of policies relating to land use, greenery, biodiversity, construction, built environment and food security. As DS (Policy) in MOE and MOH, Ms Chang was involved in policy reviews ranging from pre-school to tertiary level education, as well as health care financing and manpower. Throughout her career, Ms Chang has proven to be adept at partnering diverse stakeholders to achieve shared objectives.

Ms Chang’s leadership experience will be instrumental in leading NHB as it works with the Ministry to draw up the long term Heritage Plan for Singapore, strengthen the museum and heritage ecosystem, enhance the outreach to schools, and engage the wider community. Her ability to work with multiple stakeholders will deepen engagement with heritage supporters from the people, private and public sectors, on Singapore’s shared heritage and national identity.