SMRT appoints new Chief Technology Officer

Transport operator SMRT has appointed a new Chief Technology Officer (CTO), two months after Chief Executive Neo Kian Hong took the reins. Mr. Gan Boon Jin, who was previously with ST Kinetics, took over as CTO on 1 October, the transport operator revealed on Tuesday.

In his role as CTO, Mr. Gan - who joined SMRT on secondment earlier this year - will oversee all technology development projects and advise the management on 'relevant innovation projects'.

"He is also charged with acquiring operations and maintenance engineering capabilities required to raise and sustain the high levels of rail reliability and safety in SMRT," said SMRT Corporate Communications Vice President Margaret Teo.

A member of the Institution of Engineers, Singapore, Mr. Gan had previously served ST Kinetics - now known as ST Engineering Land Systems - as chief operating officer and president of its defence business. He previously served with the Ministry of Defence, where he was awarded a Public Administration Medal (Bronze) in 1999.

His predecessor, Mr. Ng Bor Kiat, left the company at the end of August, SMRT revealed. Mr. Ng joined SMRT in 2013 as Vice-president of its systems and engineering division, later becoming CTO in 2016. The Straits Times previously reported that SMRT Chief Corporate Officer Gerard Koh, who was in charge of areas such as information technology and human resources, had also resigned in August, a little over a week after Mr. Neo took over from former Chief Executive Desmond Kuek.