SINGAPORE - The Singapore Tourism Board (STB) will have a new person at the helm from June 1.

The Ministry of Trade and Industry (MTI) announced on Wednesday that Ms Melissa Ow, currently the Economic Development Board’s (EDB) executive vice-president of the customer experience, marketing and investment facilitation group, will replace STB chief executive Keith Tan.

He has held the position since October 2018.

Ms Ow held several roles at STB before she was seconded to EDB in June 2020, the last being that of deputy chief executive.

In that role, she headed the experience development and corporate groups, and was responsible for ensuring that Singapore had a strong line-up of quality tourism products spanning events, dining, retail, sports and entertainment, as well as new tourism concepts development, and precinct development, according to MTI.

She also oversaw STB’s corporate functions including legal, procurement and corporate administration, finance and human resources.

During his tenure, Mr Tan led STB to anchor world-class events in Singapore, including new events associated with major brands, according to MTI.

He grew the meetings, incentives, conventions and exhibitions (Mice) industry, which has become a valuable source of business opportunities for Singapore companies.

He also strengthened STB’s and the tourism sector’s digital and data capabilities, championing sustainability and wellness as key strategies for Singapore tourism.

Under his leadership during the Covid-19 pandemic, hotels, cruise lines and Mice venues rallied to serve as dedicated facilities for recovery and care.

Tour guides and displaced workers were also deployed to support national efforts.

As Singapore reopened from late 2021, Mr Tan also guided efforts to safely reopen the tourism sector and the resumption of large-scale business and leisure events, and the full reopening of tourism facilities and infrastructure in 2022.

“Keith played a pivotal role in shaping Singapore’s tourism landscape, and we thank him for his many contributions to the industry,” noted Mr Gabriel Lim, MTI’s Permanent Secretary for Policy.

He added: “Melissa is no stranger to Singapore’s tourism scene.

“With her immense experience and strategic thinking, I am confident that she will steer STB to scale new heights.”