Board of Directors

Guiding the way, igniting potential, and forging success.

Board of Directors

Mr Eugene Paul Lai Chin Look
Chairman
Mr Gan Chee Yen
Board Member
Mr Lee Sooi Chuen Philip
Board Member
Mr Woo Tsung Yuan, Francis James
Board Member
Ms Cynthia Chia
Board Member
Mr Oliver Wong
Board Member
Ms Adrienne Teh
Board Member
Mr Eugene Lai
Chairman

Eugene is currently Chairman of Boardroom Pte Ltd and non-executive director of Capitaland Investment Limited. He has extensive experience in private equity, investment banking and business, including as Managing Director & Co-Managing Partner of Southern Capital Group, where he was from 2007 to 2022, Managing Director of JP Morgan, CEO of The Ascott Group Limited and Managing Director of the Carlyle Group Asia. Eugene has served on the boards of several SGX-listed companies as well as non-profit organizations.

Eugene holds a Masters in Christian Studies (cum laude) from the Biblical Graduate School of Theology, a Master of Laws from Harvard University, and a Bachelor of Laws (first class honours) from The London School of Economics & Political Science, London University.

Mr Gan Chee Yen
Board Member

Chee Yen is a Board Director of Surbana Jurong Pte Ltd and Singapore Post Limited.  He is also Chairman and Board Director of V3 Capital Investments Pte Ltd and of BHG Retail Trust Management Pte Ltd, and is an Independent Member of the Investment Committee of Mapletree Japan Investment Country Private Trust.

Chee Yen was previously the Co-President and Executive Director of Pacific International Lines (Private) Limited, where he was a key member of the leadership team to execute the successful turnaround of the business before he retired in August 2022. Prior to that, he was CEO and Executive Director of Fullerton Financial Holdings Pte Ltd (‘FFH’). He was Chairman or Board Member of several of its overseas portfolio companies, including being a Board Commissioner of Bank Danamon Indonesia from 2003 to 2019. Prior to FFH, he was Co-Chief Investment Officer, Senior Managing Director, Special Projects and Head of China Market at Temasek International Pte Ltd. He joined Temasek in May 2003 as Chief Financial Officer and progressed to serve in various investments roles as a member of the senior management team. The investment clusters he led included the Financial Industry portfolio and the Transportation and Logistics portfolio, before he took on the role of Co-Chief Investment Officer where he anchored several successful investments.

Chee Yen holds a Bachelor of Accountancy degree from National University of Singapore and is a Chartered Accountant (Singapore) of the Institute of Singapore Chartered Accountants. He also attended Harvard Business School’s Program for Management Development in September 2001.

Mr Lee Sooi Chuen Philip
Board Member

Philip joined the Board of Heliconia in August 2019, he is currently the Vice-Chairman of Global Banking in HSBC Bank. Philip is also a Board Director of Singapore Technologies Engineering Ltd, SPH Media Holdings Pte Ltd and Savills Plc.

He has over 35 years of banking experience, having been the Country Head and CEO of both JP Morgan and Deutsche Bank Singapore operations. He has also worked for CS First Boston and Citigroup in New York and Hong Kong. Earlier, he was also an Industrial and Systems Engineer for Pepsi-Cola Group in California. Philip previously was a council member of the Singapore Government’s Institute of Banking and Finance and Chairman of its Investment Committee.  He was also previously the Chairman of the Singapore Government’s Health Promotion Board and a former Board Director of Land Transport Authority of Singapore.

Philip holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Industrial and Systems Engineering from the University of Southern California and a Master’s in Business and International Finance from the Stern School of New York University.

Mr Francis Woo
Board Member

Francis is Chief Corporate Officer / Managing Director at 65 Equity Partners, focused on investing in Asia and overseeing the corporate functions of the firm.

Francis joined 65 Equity Partners from global asset manager, Eastspring Investments, where he was Chief Financial Officer and a Board Director. He was, concurrently, a Senior Advisor to TPG and an appointed board director to an investment. Prior to Eastspring, Francis was Managing Director at TPG, where he focused on private equity investments in Southeast Asia, and was Chief Financial Officer for Asia overseeing the firm’s profitability and investment performance. Francis spent over 11 years in investment banking in New York and Singapore, having last worked at Credit Suisse as Co-Head of Corporate Finance for Southeast Asia.

Francis holds an MBA from The Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania, and a BBA from the University of Michigan.

Ms Cynthia Chia
Board Member

Mr Oliver Wong
Board Member

Oliver joined Heliconia in June 2017.

Prior to Heliconia, he was Head of Mergers & Acquisitions at RHB Securities Singapore. Before that, Oliver spent eight years in private equity with Actis and 3i based in Singapore and responsible for investments in Southeast and North Asia. Before entering the private equity industry, Oliver spent several years in investment banking with Merrill Lynch and UBS in New York and Hong Kong.

Oliver holds a Bachelor of Science in Finance and a minor in Economics with Highest Distinction from The Pennsylvania State University where he was a William A. Schreyer scholar. Oliver also holds a Master of Liberal Arts degree in Extension Studies (Finance concentration) from Harvard University.

Ms Adrienne Teh
Board Member