Former tourism chief Lionel Yeo is a good fit for Sports Hub: Chairman

New CEO has 'intellect, curiosity and EQ' and can work well with partners, external stakeholders

Lionel Yeo, 46, who helmed the Singapore Tourism Board for six years, will join the Sports Hub Pte Ltd as its new chief executive from Feb 3.
Lionel Yeo, 46, who helmed the Singapore Tourism Board for six years, will join the Sports Hub Pte Ltd as its new chief executive from Feb 3.

The Sports Hub Pte Ltd (SHPL) is confident incoming chief executive Lionel Yeo will be a good fit for the consortium given his background and skill set, said its chairman Bryn Jones.

Yeo, 46, helmed the Singapore Tourism Board (STB) for six years before stepping down in May last year. He joined Grab as its CEO adviser four months later but will end his stint at the ride-hailing company next month.

He will begin his new role with SHPL, which manages the $1.33 billion Singapore Sports Hub facility at Kallang, from Feb 3.

Jones, 57, the acting CEO since April, told The Straits Times yesterday he believes Yeo has the right level of "intellect, curiosity and EQ (emotional quotient)" for the role, as both the STB and Sports Hub share a similar remit.

Calling the Sports Hub a "broad and complex project", he added: "We did take our time (in filling the role permanently) and I think that was the right thing to do - to pause and reflect on the job description.

"We critically looked at it to identify what the overall strategic objectives of the Sports Hub were, and how (the CEO) would fit in the organisation. We (also) looked at how he would interface with the partners as well as the external stakeholders."

During Yeo's time at STB, Singapore hosted several major sporting events, including the Women's Tennis Association Finals, the Singapore Rugby Sevens and football's International Champions Cup.

In an SHPL statement yesterday, Yeo said: "The Singapore Sports Hub is a major national project that I had been involved with during my time in Government service. I am aware of the challenges Sports Hub faces and also of its achievements and tremendous potential.

  • Sports Hub CEOs

  • PHILIPPE COLLIN-DELAVAUD

    March 2011-December 2015

    The Frenchman helped oversee the construction of the $1.33 billion Sports Hub, which began operations in the middle of 2014.

    The National Stadium's then hybrid pitch came under criticism and was eventually replaced by a new lay-and-play surface.

    MANU SAWHNEY

    October 2015-May 2017

    The tenure of the former managing director of ESPN Star Sports (now Fox Sports) coincided with departures of senior management from the Sports Hub consortium and a lacklustre events schedule.

    The calendar was eventually beefed up with high-profile acts like Coldplay and football's International Champions Cup.

    OON JIN TEIK

    January 2018-April 2019

    An ex-national swimmer and former CEO of the Singapore Sports Council (national agency Sport Singapore's predecessor), Oon pushed for a diverse portfolio of programming. Last year, the Sports Hub hosted more than 210 events and welcomed more than three million visitors.

"I am humbled to be given the opportunity to serve as its CEO, and look forward to engaging with all stakeholders to build on its success for Singapore."

The previous full-time CEO was Oon Jin Teik, a former national swimmer. He joined in May 2014 as the chief operating officer, and was the acting CEO after Manu Sawhney quit after a two-year stint in May 2017. He took the reins officially in January last year before leaving this April.

It was reported the public-private partnership operating model of the Sports Hub, which requires a balancing act between the social objectives and the profit-making goal was at the centre of Oon's decision to step down.

Yeo will be the fourth man at the helm after Frenchman Philippe Collin-Delavaud (2011-2015), India-born Singaporean Sawhney and Oon.

Jones said the hiring process formally began in June and a list of 70 was whittled down to about 10, before three made the final shortlist.

Koh Ching Ching, head of group brand and communications at OCBC Bank, the Sports Hub's premier founding partner, said: "We hope the achievements of the previous team will be built on as we go from strength to strength.

"We look forward to Lionel helping to integrate the interests of all parties so that, under his leadership, the Sports Hub will be further entrenched both as an acclaimed venue internationally and a popular destination for local activities."

James Walton, head of Deloitte South-east Asia's sports business group, said Yeo's appointment was a positive one.

He noted: "He's very well-regarded and well-thought of, and he has the right connectivity at all levels of the Government, as well as key parts of the private sector, and even the sporting ecosystem, from a major events point of view.

"He can help bring some stability and strategic direction, and bridge that private sector-public sector gap that has been there for the last couple of years."

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A version of this article appeared in the print edition of The Straits Times on November 28, 2019, with the headline Former tourism chief Lionel Yeo is a good fit for Sports Hub: Chairman . Subscribe