Singapore
Sukhvinder bridges the gap between governance and execution. His career spans over 40 years, traversing the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF), startups and board work. One principle remains constant throughout his journey: true leadership is stewardship - pursuing growth through values that withstand the test of audits and time. As Chairman of the Board at Shanaya (SGX-Listed), he collectively shapes the strategic direction of the group. Concurrently, as Chairman of the Remuneration Committee and member of the Audit Committee, he ensures operational framework remains robust and accountable. Beyond the boardroom, as Co-Founder of SGVector, he holds the executive helm for the commercial strategy and operational delivery of a biotech firm developing viral vectors and materials for Cell & Gene Therapies. As Founding Director of Qiji Group, he oversees a consultancy ensuring the operational readiness of FPSO assets and technical integration across jurisdictional regulatory frameworks. The group has expanded from Singapore to Brazil and UAE, navigating the crisis of the pandemic and energy downturn. Sukhvinder's roots lie in the SAF, Republic of Singapore Navy - RSN (Colonel, Retired), where he honed the capability of discipline, decisiveness, team alignment, execution and accountability. He was the first RSN officer to command a coalition force in the Northern Arabian Gulf. Working closely also with US Naval leadership. That deployment established critical interoperability, paving the way for Singapore’s subsequent sustained operations in the region. In the corporate sector, he led the Asian pivot for Civica (PE-owned tech), driving a regional strategy that contributed to its US$2.5 billion acquisition by Blackstone. Domestically, as Chairman of Normanton Park for 22 years, he passionately took care of the interests of the 488 apartment owners that also led the consensus-building required for its S$831 million collective sale. Stewardship extends beyond business. He serves as a Director for LoveNils (children's cancer charity) and has spent over 25 years in grassroots work with the People's Association holding leadership roles, including at the Citizens' Consultative Committee (CCC) level, working alongside with residents and tending to their needs with support from Government agencies and volunteers. He holds an MBA (Tasmania), as well as qualifications from Stanford and NUS, alongside full compliance with SGX Directorship mandates. He is honoured as a recipient of the Public Administration Medal (PBS), a State Award presented by the President of Singapore.
Governance & Stewardship • Fiduciary Oversight: Serve as a Director for this Institution of a Public Character (IPC), ensuring governance standards that sustain donor trust and organizational stability. • Strategic Support: Partner with the leadership team to advance the founder’s vision -inspired by her son Nils - of a holistic support system for paediatric oncology patients. Community Impact • Holistic Care: Oversee the delivery of programmes that go beyond medical treatment, including patient navigation (guiding families through healthcare systems) and emotional counselling for caregivers. • Healthcare Partnerships: Support key collaborations with medical institutions, such as the National University Hospital (NUH), to bridge the gap between clinical care and family well-being.
Board Leadership & Governance • Stewardship: Serve as Chairman of the Board for Shanaya Limited (SGX-listed), providing strategic oversight to a homegrown leader in waste management and sustainability. • Committee Roles: Ensure robust governance and fiduciary compliance as Chairman of the Remuneration Committee and a member of the Audit and Nominating Committees. Strategic Focus: Circular Economy • Sustainability: Guide the company’s alignment with circular economy principles (Reduce, Recycle, Recover, Reuse), focusing on value recovery from industrial, commercial, and toxic waste. • Sector Impact: Oversee the strategic direction as the company services key industries, including the shipping and cruise sectors, ensuring operational excellence in waste treatment and disposal.
Commercial Leadership & Strategy • Executive Helm: Co-founded this A*STAR spinoff, driving the commercial strategy and operational delivery for a biotech firm specialized in viral vectors - the critical delivery mechanism for Cell & Gene Therapies (CGT). • Industry Impact: Guide the company’s focus on the "manufacturing bottleneck" of gene therapy. With viral vectors used in the majority of FDA-approved CGT drugs, we aim to stabilize supply and quality for partners like CellVec (GMP grade) and BioCell Innovations. Mission: Accessibility in Oncology • Democratizing Access: Lead the organization’s mandate to make advanced therapies, particularly CAR-T cancer treatments, more affordable and accessible within Southeast Asia and globally. • End-to-End Capabilities: Oversee the development of full-spectrum services - from vector design and process development to scale-up and analytical testing - bridging the gap between laboratory innovation and patient care.
Global Expansion & Resilience • Strategic Growth: Guided the firm’s evolution from a Singapore-centric consultancy to a specialized engineering organization with operational hubs in Singapore, Brazil and UAE. • Crisis Management: Successfully navigated the "double crisis" of the global pandemic and the energy sector downturn immediately post-founding. Through disciplined financial stewardship, we not only sustained operations but executed international expansion plans during a period of market volatility. Operational Focus: FPSO Ecosystem • Asset Readiness: Partner with top-tier energy majors to ensure FPSO (Floating Production Storage and Offloading) assets achieve "Operational Readiness," regulatory compliance, and maximum reliability uptime. • Risk Management: oversee high-value contracting structures and cross-border liabilities. The "Governance Architect" • Cross-Border Compliance: Ensure strict adherence to multi-jurisdictional financial and legal standards (ACRA in Singapore, plus Brazilian and Dubai regulatory bodies). • Philosophy: Embed the belief that rigorous governance is an accelerator, not a handbrake, ensuring internal controls mature in lockstep with rapid revenue growth.
The Singapore Narrative • Flagship Module: Selected to deliver the specialized module "Singapore Growth Story - From Third World to First World," aimed at international MBA cohorts and senior leaders from regions including Europe and India. • Strategic Context: Analyse the rationale behind Singapore’s unique policy frameworks, using real-time data to facilitate candid, rigorous debates on governance rather than simple policy defense. • Impact & Engagement • Top-Tier Ratings: Consistently rated as a top faculty member, with 95% of participants scoring the delivery at 4.5/5 or above. • Setting the Tone: Frequently requested by international partners to anchor the opening lecture, setting the strategic standard for the program. • Practitioner’s Lens: Integrate the "ideal mix of rigor and relevance," synthesizing lessons from military command, public board chairmanship, and business ventures to bridge the gap between academic theory and real-world execution.