Chan Yeng Kit: The ‘serial job hopper’ who’s now SPH Media’s new executive chairman

Chan Yeng Kit, the 61-year-old former senior civil servant and CEO of SPH Media since July 2024, has taken on a new role as executive chairman of both SPH Media Trust and SPH Media Holdings. Despite his extensive experience of over 36 years in the public service, including his tenure as permanent secretary at the Ministry of Health, Chan acknowledges that many would consider him a "serial job hopper."

He was asked to continue his executive responsibilities as executive chairman to ensure continuity and stability for SPH Media, especially as it has seen three CEOs in the past five years since becoming a company limited by guarantee in 2021. Chan's intention is to eventually relinquish his executive roles and become a non-executive chairman within the next two or three years, with hopes it could be earlier.

He emphasized the importance of collective leadership, stating that every decision should be a collective decision by the executive committee. When discussing the impact of artificial intelligence on jobs in the media industry, Chan argued that AI will redefine jobs rather than eliminate them, and it will be crucial to produce high-quality, original content that AI cannot replicate.

Trust in journalism remains the core ingredient for SPH Media, and Chan aims to earn and maintain this trust with Singapore's audiences.