Overview
- SPH Media announced on Thursday that Khaw Boon Wan will retire as chairman after five years and hand the role to chief executive Chan Yeng Kit, with the change expected to take effect on Oct 1, 2026 subject to formal approvals.
- Chan will continue as CEO while taking on the chairmanship, a move that would make him the first SPH Media chair in two decades who was not a former Cabinet minister.
- Khaw said he is stepping aside because operations have stabilised and new leadership should have time to further build trust with audiences, newsrooms and institutional custodians.
- The shift follows the 2021 restructure that created SPH Media as a company limited by guarantee and the 2022 government commitment of up to $900 million to support the group’s capability development.
- Management points to stronger weekly reach, app and product redesigns, and international awards as signs of progress, even as the organisation continues board and executive renewal and faces commercial pressure, newsroom strain and the need to adopt AI to raise productivity.