Lim Siong Guan

Lim Siong Guan is an advisor to the Group Executive Committee of GIC, Singapore’s ruling wealth fund. In 1969, Lim was granted the President’s Scholarship, awarding him the chance to study at the University of Adelaide, Australia, where he graduated with a First Class Honours degree in Mechanical Engineering. In the following decade, Lim earned a Postgraduate Diploma in Business administration from the National University of Singapore.

Lim’s introduction to politics was from May 1978 until June 1981, when he became the first Principal Private Secretary to former Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew. Establishing himself within government, Lim was then appointed Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Defence until 1994, Secretary in the Prime Minister’s Office from June until 1998, Secretary of the Ministry of Education until 1999, and Secretary of the Ministry of Finance from 1999 to 2006. During his later position, Lim was also head of the Singapore Civil Service until March 2005.

Thanks to his decades of experience, Lim has held numerous influential positions, starting as the Chairman of the Central Provident Fund Board from 1986 to 1994. In 1999, Lim was appointed Deputy chairman of the board of Commissioners of Currency and board member of the Monetary Authority of Singapore, progressing from such roles in 2002 and 2006. From 2004 to 2006, Lim stood as Chairman of the Accounting and Corporate Regulatory Authority (ACRA) and the Inland Revenue Authority of Singapore. With his industry knowledge, Lim became a professor at the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy, becoming a member of the Lee Kuan Yew Exchange Fellowship from 2005 to 2006. A testament to his affinity for politics and finance, Lim was a Director of Temasek Holdings Pte. Ltd, a Director of DBS Bank Ltd and a Director of Neptune Orient Lines Limited. Furthermore, he was also Chairman of the Economic Development Board for three years and continues to contribute to the Government of Singapore Investment Corporation (GIC).

In recognition of his achievements, Lim was awarded the Order of Nila Utama in 2006, the Meritorious Service Medal in 1991 and the Public Administration Medal (Gold) in 1982. In recent years, Lim ranked No. 11 on the Sovereign Wealth Fund Institute's Public Investor 100.

On top of his political contribution, Lim has also been recognised for his outstanding literature. In 2014, Lim’s book, Leader, The Teacher & You, was awarded the Singapore Literature Prize for English Non-fiction. Two years later, Lim and his daughter Joanne H Lim, published Winning With Honour in Relationships, Family, Organisations, Leadership, And Life.

To book Lim Siong Guan as the economics speaker for your corporate event, function or conference, simply contact the Champions Speakers agency by emailing [email protected] or by calling a booking agent directly on 0207 1010 553.