ComfortDelGro group CEO Yang Ban Seng appointed new SBS Transit CEO

ComfortDelGro Group Chief Executive Yang Ban Seng will be taking over as SBS Transit's Executive Deputy Chairman and Chief Executive from Tuesday (15 January).

SBS Transit, which is owned by ComfortDelGro, announced Mr. Yang's appointment in a Singapore Exchange filing on Monday. He replaces Mr. Gan Juay Kiat, who tendered his resignation last month over a 'personal indiscretion'.

Mr. Yang, 62, has been the Managing Director and Group Chief Executive of ComfortDelGro, as well as Deputy Chairman of SBS Transit since 1 May 2017. He was recommended to the board by SBS Chairman Lim Jit Poh.

The SBS Transit board approved the recommendation of Mr. Yang's appointment on the strength of his experience and familiarity with SBS Transit's business operations. In response to queries from The Straits Times, Mr. Lim said that Mr. Yang has been supervising the work of the SBS Transit management in his capacity as Managing Director and group CEO. "Mr. Yang is well placed to fill in for the position of CEO," he added.

"The bus and rail heads will report directly to him and I have every confidence that the team will continue to focus on delivering good service to the communities we serve," Mr. Lim said.

Before taking over as group CEO and Managing Director in 2017, Mr. Yang was the Chief Executive of taxi business at ComfortDelGro. Previously, he was in the public service, working in the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Home Affairs. Mr. Gan, whose resignation was confirmed last month in a Singapore Exchange filing, was appointed SBS Transit CEO in 2010. In the filing on 28 December, SBS Transit said that Mr. Gan would leave the company on 27 March 2019.