Wilmar CEO Kuok Khoon Hong is oldest corporate leader in SBR list

In 1991, Kuok helped build Wilmar International that is now regarded as a palm oil giant.

Wilmar International Ltd. co-founder and CEO Kuok Khoon Hong, at 76 years old, is the oldest corporate leader in Singapore Business Review’s (SBR) list of corporate elite.

SBR compiled data on CEOs of the 30-company bellwether Straits Times Index (STI), gathering their tenure within their companies and their ages, amongst others.

In 1991, Kuok helped build Wilmar International that is now regarded as a palm oil giant. Kuok is the only founder still leading a firm amongst STI constituents and the oldest CEO.

The leaders have held their posts for an average of seven years, and they are internal appointees who spent years building their careers within the same company before reaching the top.

“Many rose through the ranks from finance, engineering, or operational backgrounds,” the list said, which reflects “the city-state’s preference for steady leadership and technical competence."

The CEOs in the list are aged 61 to 76 years old, with the youngest being Singapore Exchange Ltd. CEO Loh Boon Chye at 61.

The list is also composed of leaders from firms Keppel Ltd., Oversea-Chinese Banking Corp., and United Overseas Bank Limited, amongst others.

Amongst the youngest leaders on the list is Singapore Airlines Ltd., CEO Goh Choon Phong who is 62 years old.

Goh joined the carrier in 1990 after graduating from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and served in roles ranging from marketing to finance and cargo, the SBR list said.

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Jardine Matheson

Wilmar International Limited

leadership

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