Ho Ching
{{Short description|Singaporean businesswoman}}
{{family name hatnote|Ho|lang=Chinese}}
{{Promotional|date=June 2020}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=March 2023}}
{{Infobox officeholder
| name = Ho Ching
| native_name = {{nobold|{{lang|zh|何晶}}}}
| honorific-suffix = {{post-nominals|list=SMIJ PSLJ}}
| image = Ho Ching in August 2016.jpg
| imagesize =
| caption = Ho in 2016
| office = Spouse of the Prime Minister of Singapore
| term_start = 12 August 2004
| term_end = 15 May 2024
| term_label = In role
| primeminister = Lee Hsien Loong
| predecessor = Tan Choo Leng
| birth_name =
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|df=yes|1954|03|27}}
| birth_place = Colony of Singapore
| death_date =
| death_place =
| resting_place =
| resting_place_coordinates =
| citizenship =
| nationality =
| party =
| spouse = {{marriage|Lee Hsien Loong|17 December 1985}}
| children = 2
| residence =
| education =
| alma_mater = National University of Singapore (BEng)
Stanford University (MS)
| occupation = Business executive
| profession = Electrical engineer
| office2 = Chairperson of Temasek Trust
| predecessor2 = S Dhanabalan
| termstart2 = 1 April 2022
| successor = Loo Tze Lui
}}
Ho Ching ({{lang-zh|c=何晶|p=Hé Jīng|w=Ho2 Ching1|cy=Hòh Jīng}}; born 27 March 1954) is a Singaporean businesswoman.
Ho had been serving as the chairperson of Temasek Trust since 2022. She is the wife of the 3rd Prime Minister of Singapore, Lee Hsien Loong.{{cite news| title=Ho Ching – The Time 100| author=Jim Rogers| url=http://www.time.com/time/specials/2007/time100/article/0,28804,1595326_1615737_1615992,00.html| magazine=Time| date=3 May 2007| access-date=5 May 2007| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070505052757/http://www.time.com/time/specials/2007/time100/article/0,28804,1595326_1615737_1615992,00.html| archive-date=5 May 2007| url-status=dead}} Ho joined Temasek Holdings as a director in January 2002. She became its executive director in May 2002 and was appointed as the chief executive officer by Goh Chok Tong in January 2004.{{Cite web|url = http://www.temasek.com.sg/Documents/userfiles/files/Biography.pdf|title = Untitled |access-date = 17 March 2014|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20140317110026/http://www.temasek.com.sg/Documents/userfiles/files/Biography.pdf|archive-date = 17 March 2014|url-status=live}}
Early life and education
Ho was born on 27 March 1954 in Singapore. She attended Crescent Girls' School and National Junior College—where she became one of the top students for the A Level examinations in her cohort and was named Student of the Year,{{Cite web|url = http://www.swhf.sg/the-inductees/12-business-enterprise/121-ho-ching|title = Singapore Women's Hall of Fame: Ho Ching|access-date = 23 March 2014|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20140323112703/http://www.swhf.sg/the-inductees/12-business-enterprise/121-ho-ching|archive-date = 23 March 2014|url-status = dead}} before graduating from the University of Singapore (now the National University of Singapore) in 1976 with a Bachelor of Engineering with first class honours degree in electrical engineering.
She subsequently went on to complete a Master of Science degree in electrical engineering at Stanford University in 1982.
Career
Ho started her career as an engineer with the Ministry of Defence of Singapore in 1976.{{Cite web|url = http://www.temasek.com.sg/Documents/userfiles/files/Biography.pdf|title = Temasek: Ho Ching Biography|access-date = 17 March 2014|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20140317110026/http://www.temasek.com.sg/Documents/userfiles/files/Biography.pdf|archive-date = 17 March 2014|url-status=live}} In 1983, she became the Director of Defence Materials Organisation, the procurement agency of the ministry and concurrently held the position of deputy director of Defence Science Organisation.
Ho joined Singapore Technologies in 1987 as deputy director of engineering and took on various senior responsibilities before becoming its president and chief executive officer in 1997. She joined Temasek Holdings as a director in January 2002 and became its executive director in May 2002 before assuming the role of chief executive officer of the company on 1 January 2004.{{Cite web|url = http://www.temasek.com.sg/Documents/userfiles/files/Biography.pdf|title = Temasek: Ho Ching's Biography|access-date = 17 March 2014|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20140317110026/http://www.temasek.com.sg/Documents/userfiles/files/Biography.pdf|archive-date = 17 March 2014|url-status=live}}
Ho has served as chairperson of the Singapore Institute of Standards and Industrial Research, and as deputy chairperson of the Productivity and Standards Board, and the Economic Development Board.{{Cite web|url = http://sgebooks.nl.sg/image.aspx?id=165f75c9-db3c-4c1d-b435-7cbe911a81f1|title = Book SG: Portrait of Madam Ho Ching, circa 1994|url-status=dead|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20140323164319/http://sgebooks.nl.sg/image.aspx?id=165f75c9-db3c-4c1d-b435-7cbe911a81f1|archive-date = 23 March 2014}}
Ho stepped down as CEO and executive director on 1 October 2021, being succeeded by Dilhan Pillay Sandrasegara, who will continue to concurrently hold his current appointment as chief executive of Temasek International.{{cite web|title=Leadership Transition at Temasek Holdings: Dilhan Pillay Sandrasegara to be appointed Executive Director & CEO with effect from 1 October 2021|date=9 February 2021 |url=https://www.temasek.com.sg/en/news-and-views/news-room/news/2021/leadership-transition-at-temasek-holdings}} The same day, she was appointed as a director of Temasek Trust. On 1 April 2022, she succeeded S. Dhanabalan as chairperson of Temasek Trust.{{Cite news|last=Choo|first=Yun Ting|date=30 September 2021|title=Retiring Temasek CEO Ho Ching to join Temasek Trust board, take over as chairman from April 1, 2022|language=en|work=The Straits Times|url=https://www.straitstimes.com/business/retiring-temasek-ceo-ho-ching-to-join-temasek-trust-board-take-over-as-chairman-from-april|access-date=1 October 2021|issn=0585-3923}}
Honours
= National =
For her public service, she was conferred the
- 60x60px Public Administration Medal (silver, 1985)
- 60x60px Public Service Star (1996) award by the Singapore Government.
= Foreign =
- 60x60px Sultan of Brunei Golden Jubilee Medal, awarded 6 October 2017.{{Cite web |date=2019-08-08 |title=Brunei Golden Jubilee Medal {{!}} Royal Insignia |url=https://royalinsignia.com/the-making-of-golden-jubilee-medals/,%20https://royalinsignia.com/the-making-of-golden-jubilee-medals/ |access-date=2024-02-27 |language=en-US }}{{Dead link|date=August 2024 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}
- 60x60px First Class of The Most Exalted Order of Sultan Ibrahim Johor – Dato' Sri Mulia Sultan Ibrahim Johor (SMIJ), which carries the title Datin Paduka (6 May 2022) {{Cite web |date=5 May 2022 |title=PM Lee and Ho Ching to receive royal honours from Johor Sultan |url=https://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/politics/pm-lee-and-ho-ching-to-receive-royal-honours-from-johor-sultan |access-date=6 May 2022 |website=The Straits Times}}{{Cite web |date=5 May 2022 |title=Singapore PM and wife to receive royal honours from Johor Sultan |url=https://www.thestar.com.my/aseanplus/aseanplus-news/2022/05/05/singapore-pm-and-wife-to-receive-royal-honours-from-johor-sultan |access-date=6 May 2022 |website=The Star}}
- 60x60px First Class of The Most Distinguished Order of Paduka Seri Laila Jasa – Darjah Paduka Seri Laila Jasa (PSLJ), which carries the title Datin Paduka Seri Laila Jasa (16 July 2022).{{cite web | url=https://www.channelnewsasia.com/singapore/pm-lee-hsien-loong-ho-ching-awards-brunei-visit-2809096 | title=PM Lee Hsien Loong, Ho Ching to receive awards in Brunei }}
= Academic =
- In 1995, Ho was conferred the National University of Singapore's Distinguished Engineering Alumnus Award.
- She is also an honorary fellow of the Institution of Engineers, Singapore.
= Others =
Ho has appeared in many rankings of the most powerful and influential people in the world. In 2007, Ho was picked as one of the "100 most influential men and women" who shaped the world by Time magazine.{{cite news |author=Jim Rogers |date=3 May 2007 |title=Ho Ching – The 2007 Time 100 |magazine=Time |url=https://content.time.com/time/specials/2007/time100/article/0,28804,1595326_1615737_1615992,00.html |url-status=live |access-date=23 March 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140324194849/http://content.time.com/time/specials/2007/time100/article/0,28804,1595326_1615737_1615992,00.html |archive-date=24 March 2014}} In 2007, Forbes magazine ranked her 3rd in its annual list of the world's most powerful women, behind German Chancellor Angela Merkel and China's Vice-Premier Wu Yi. Ho had climbed 33 spots from 36th place in the previous year's list.{{cite news |author=Sheralyn Tay |date=1 September 2007 |title=Ho Ching, world's 3rd most powerful woman |newspaper=TODAY |url=http://www.todayonline.com/articles/208754.asp |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071018235722/http://www.todayonline.com/articles/208754.asp |archive-date=18 October 2007}} In 2011, Ho was included in the '50 Most Influential' ranking by Bloomberg Markets magazine.{{Cite news |date=8 September 2011 |title=Bloomberg Markets Most Influential 50 |magazine=Bloomberg Markets |url=http://images.businessweek.com/slideshows/20110906/bloomberg-markets-most-influential-50#slide27 |url-status=dead |access-date=15 February 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140221192618/http://images.businessweek.com/slideshows/20110906/bloomberg-markets-most-influential-50#slide27 |archive-date=21 February 2014}} In 2013, Ho was ranked ninth on the Public Investor 100 ranking compiled by the Sovereign Wealth Fund Institute.{{Cite web |title=SWF Institute: Ho Ching |url=http://www.swfinstitute.org/public-investor-100/ho-ching/ |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130922224948/http://www.swfinstitute.org/public-investor-100/ho-ching/ |archive-date=22 September 2013 |access-date=11 August 2013}} In 2014, she was listed as the 59th most powerful woman in the world by Forbes.{{cite web |title=The World's 100 Most Powerful Women |url=https://www.forbes.com/power-women/list/2/#tab:overall |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140625021133/http://www.forbes.com/power-women/list/2#tab:overall |archive-date=25 June 2014 |access-date=26 June 2014 |work=Forbes}} In June, Ho was also awarded the 2014 Asian Business Leaders Award. The annual Asia House award recognises individuals who embody the 'Servant Leader' – economic success and professional excellence accompanied by moral leadership and service to society. Asia House is a centre of expertise on Asia and the leading pan-Asian organisation in the UK.{{Cite web |title=The Temasek story: Growing with Singapore |url=http://www.todayonline.com/commentary/temasek-story-growing-singapore |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150107162643/http://www.todayonline.com/commentary/temasek-story-growing-singapore |archive-date=7 January 2015 |access-date=8 April 2015}} She became the 30th most powerful woman in 2016.{{cite web |title=World's Most Powerful Women |url=https://www.forbes.com/power-women/#/tab:overall_page:3 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140628182127/http://www.forbes.com/power-women/#/tab:overall_page:3 |archive-date=28 June 2014 |access-date=17 November 2016 |website=Forbes}}
In 2019, she ranked No. 23 in the Power Women 2019 of Forbes list,{{Cite web |title=Ho Ching |url=https://www.forbes.com/profile/ho-ching/ |access-date=26 March 2020 |website=Forbes |language=en}} while in 2020 she ranked 30th again.{{Cite web |title=Ho Ching |url=https://www.forbes.com/profile/ho-ching/ |access-date=16 December 2020 |website=Forbes |language=en}}
Philanthropy
In her personal capacity, Ho supports various community service and charitable organisations. She has particular interest in special needs education, healthcare and the welfare and development of children. She is the patron of Assisi Hospice, and the founding chairman of Trailblazer Foundation Ltd, an IPC charity which provides funding for education, health, sports and community welfare. In March 2014, Ho was inducted into the Singapore Council of Women's Organisations' Singapore Women's Hall of Fame, which honours outstanding women of Singapore.
In August 2016, Ho received a positive reception{{Cite news|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-36972207|title=$11 pouch steals limelight at White House|date=4 August 2016|work=BBC News|access-date=28 February 2018|language=en-GB|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180623191221/https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-36972207|archive-date=23 June 2018|url-status=live}} when on a state visit to the White House to mark 50 years of bilateral relations between the US and Singapore,{{cite web |url=https://apnews.com/article/dff9e7c3ca7847548ee6682df27187bc |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201017140912/https://apnews.com/article/dff9e7c3ca7847548ee6682df27187bc |archive-date=17 October 2020 |title=State dinner celebrates 50 years of US-Singapore relations|website=Associated Press }} she carried a pouch designed by an autistic student from Pathlight School (under its Artist Development Program).{{Cite news|url=https://tnp.straitstimes.com/news/singapore/ho-chings-white-house-purse-designed-autistic-youth|title=Ho Ching's White House purse designed by autistic youth|date=4 August 2016|work=The New Paper|access-date=28 February 2018|language=en|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180228223433/http://www.tnp.sg/news/singapore/ho-chings-white-house-purse-designed-autistic-youth|archive-date=28 February 2018|url-status=live}} Ho is an advisor to the Autism Resource Centre (ARC), a non-profit charity in charge of Pathlight School, and had acquired the pouch at an ARC fundraising event.{{Cite news|url=https://www.todayonline.com/singapore/overwhelming-demand-pathlight-pouch-after-ho-ching-carries-it-white-house|title='Overwhelming' demand for Pathlight pouch after Ho Ching carries it to White House|work=TODAYonline|access-date=28 February 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180301164407/https://www.todayonline.com/singapore/overwhelming-demand-pathlight-pouch-after-ho-ching-carries-it-white-house|archive-date=1 March 2018|url-status=live}} Ho is also a patron of the Autism Association of Singapore.{{Cite news|url=http://www.autismlinks.org.sg/about-us/board-of-management|title=Management – Autism Association (Singapore)|access-date=28 February 2018|language=en-gb|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180228223406/http://www.autismlinks.org.sg/about-us/board-of-management|archive-date=28 February 2018|url-status=live}}
Personal life
Ho is the eldest of four children of a businessman, Ho Eng Hong (born 1929) and his wife, Chan Chiew Ping (1931–2005).{{cite book|title=Southeast Asian Personalities of Chinese Descent: A Biographical Dictionary, Volume I & II|date=2012|publisher=Institute of Southeast Asian Studies|page=334}}{{Cite web|url = http://www.katagogi.com/Profile/Profile.aspx?l=EN&fid=685588&No=3b66aa79-9331-4731-9fb4-81bbac9561d4&nAID=18309020&PreveVal=11221|D8/1sj0a39DnjgsV+3mH6yxwRON97u2Gy2viK/raGm8=|DX3HrDNYyoETii2jMAspSA==1|title =
{{Lee Kuan Yew family tree}}
= Social media activity =
Ho is an active social media user and regularly shares her views and interacts with others on Facebook. According to news reports, Ho posted on Facebook an average of 4,800 per month from 2019 - 2020 and has published about 1,830 posts on average from 2015 - 2020. In 2020, she had more than 101,000 Facebook followers.{{Cite web |date=2020-04-25 |title=When Ho Ching posts on Facebook, Singapore pays attention. Is that a problem? |url=https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3081461/when-ho-ching-posts-facebook-singapore-pays-attention-problem |access-date=2023-11-04 |website=South China Morning Post |language=en}} At times, Ho has made more than 200 posts per day.{{Cite web |last=Citizen |first=The Online |date=2020-04-17 |title=Temasek CEO, Ho Ching makes nearly 200 posts a day on Facebook - why? |url=https://www.theonlinecitizen.com/2020/04/17/temasek-ceo-ho-ching-makes-nearly-200-posts-a-day-on-facebook-why/ |access-date=2023-11-04 |website=The Online Citizen |language=en-GB |archive-date=4 November 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231104072618/https://www.theonlinecitizen.com/2020/04/17/temasek-ceo-ho-ching-makes-nearly-200-posts-a-day-on-facebook-why/ |url-status=dead }} She has occasionally re-shared several posts made by members of the Cabinet in quick succession.{{Cite web |last=stephen |date=2021-04-14 |title=Ho Ching now shares 13 Facebook posts by Lawrence Wong consecutively within 6 minutes |url=https://www.theonlinecitizen.com/2021/04/14/ho-ching-now-shares-13-facebook-posts-by-lawrence-wong-consecutively-within-6-minutes/ |access-date=2023-11-04 |website=The Online Citizen |language=en-GB |archive-date=4 November 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231104072617/https://www.theonlinecitizen.com/2021/04/14/ho-ching-now-shares-13-facebook-posts-by-lawrence-wong-consecutively-within-6-minutes/ |url-status=dead }}{{Cite web |last=stephen |date=2021-04-13 |title=Ho Ching shares not 1, not 2, but 7 Facebook posts by Chan Chun Sing in a row within 15 minutes |url=https://www.theonlinecitizen.com/2021/04/13/ho-ching-shares-not-1-not-2-but-7-facebook-posts-by-chan-chun-sing-in-a-row-within-15-minutes/ |access-date=2023-11-04 |website=The Online Citizen |language=en-GB |archive-date=4 November 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231104072617/https://www.theonlinecitizen.com/2021/04/13/ho-ching-shares-not-1-not-2-but-7-facebook-posts-by-chan-chun-sing-in-a-row-within-15-minutes/ |url-status=dead }}
Some of Ho's public posts have drawn significant media attention and have been the subject of public controversy in Singapore and abroad.{{Cite web |date=2018-03-10 |title=Making Sense of Ho Ching's Facebook Page |url=https://www.ricemedia.co/culture-people-making-sense-ho-chings-facebook-page/ |access-date=2023-11-04 |website=RICE |language=en-GB}}
On 11 April 2020, Ho shared an article on Facebook about Taiwan’s donation of masks to Singapore with the following caption: "Errr". Her comment was made shortly after media reports suggested that a ban on the export of masks imposed by Taipei during the COVID-19 pandemic had prevented ST Engineering from exporting masks produced in Taiwan to Singapore. Some commentators suggested that Ho was ungrateful for the donation of masks to Singapore by Taiwan. Ho subsequently amended her caption to state that she was "forever grateful... to all our friends and friends of friends in Taiwan".{{Cite web |date=2020-04-13 |title='Errrr' … Singapore's Ho Ching thanks Taiwan after quibble over masks |url=https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3079656/errrr-singapores-ho-ching-thanks-friends-taiwan-after-quibble |access-date=2023-11-04 |website=South China Morning Post |language=en}}
In August 2023, amidst public debate over then-presidential candidate Tan Kin Lian's posts about 'pretty girls', Ho shared her views on Facebook, suggesting that the Presidential Elections Committee should not be expected to be the "arbiter of moral standards" and that "[m]aybe TKL had asked for permission to take the pictures or to post".{{Cite web |date=2023-08-24 |title='Maybe he had asked for permission to take the pictures': Ho Ching weighs in on Tan Kin Lian's 'pretty girls' Facebook posts |url=https://www.asiaone.com/singapore/maybe-he-had-asked-permission-take-pictures-ho-ching-weighs-tan-kin-lians-pretty-girls-presidential-election |access-date=2023-11-04 |website=AsiaOne |language=en}}
References
{{reflist}}
External links
- [http://www.foreignaffairs.com/articles/54766/lucian-w-pye/the-singapore-story-memoirs-of-lee-kuan-yew The Singapore Story: Memoirs of Lee Kuan Yew]
- [https://web.archive.org/web/20090221190948/http://www.parliament.gov.sg/AboutUs/Org-MP-MP-Prof-LeeKuanYew.htm Lee Kuan Yew | Articles Speeches and Interviews – Lee Kuan Yew 李光耀]
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Category:Lee family (Singapore)
Category:National Junior College alumni
Category:Singaporean people of Chinese descent
Category:National University of Singapore alumni
Category:Recipients of the Pingat Pentadbiran Awam
Category:Recipients of the Bintang Bakti Masyarakat
Category:Singaporean chief executives
Category:Singaporean engineers
Category:Singaporean people of Cantonese descent
Category:Spouses of prime ministers of Singapore