Singapore Women Leadership Honours Recognises 11 Business Leaders

SINGAPORE: Eleven Singaporean women leaders have been recognised at the Singapore Women Leadership Honours (SWLH) 2026, marking a broader approach to celebrating female leadership across the corporate sector, entrepreneurship, family enterprises and community development.

The awards ceremony and dinner, held in Singapore in partnership with Forvis Mazars in Singapore as Intellectual Partner, was attended by Coordinating Minister for Public Services and Defence Minister Chan Chun Sing, who also participated in a closed-door fireside discussion with the honourees and guests.

Previously known as the Women Entrepreneur Awards, the programme has been redesigned to reflect the changing landscape of business leadership and recognise women whose contributions extend beyond founding and running companies.

The 2026 edition introduced four categories: Impact Leadership, Corporate Leadership, Entrepreneurial Leadership and Next Generation Leadership.

Stephanie Cheo, chairperson of the Singapore Women Leadership Honours, said the expansion reflected the different ways women were contributing to Singapore's economy and society.

She said the programme, established in 2016, had taken a break in 2025 to reconsider how best to recognise women making a difference across the business community.

"Leadership today is not confined to entrepreneurship. Singaporean women are steering large organisations, carrying family enterprises into the next generation and creating impact in the community," Cheo said.

In the Corporate Leadership category, the honourees were Stephanie K.C. Hung, director general and chief information officer of the Asian Development Bank, and Feon Ang, managing director for Asia Pacific at LinkedIn.

Hung leads the Asian Development Bank's digital strategy, IT infrastructure and digital resilience, while Ang oversees LinkedIn's regional business and works with governments, employers and training partners on workforce skills as artificial intelligence reshapes the workplace.

The Entrepreneurial Leadership category recognised six business founders and executives who have built companies across different industries.

They were Jocelyn Tan, group chief executive officer of Apex Asia Management Group; Lynn Kee, founder and managing director of Dr.Bags; Jaz Tan, owner and director of FFL Group; Jasmine Ho, founder and managing partner of The MasterPlan; Florence Soo, managing director of Trendbuild Contracts; and Desleen Yeo, founder of YeoMama Batik.

Their businesses illustrate the breadth of Singapore's entrepreneurial landscape, spanning property management, luxury restoration, food and hospitality, events, construction and traditional crafts.

Among them, Apex Asia Management Group has grown into an integrated property management, development and technology business operating in Singapore and the Philippines, with approximately 300 employees.

Dr.Bags, founded in 2014, has developed a business around luxury leather restoration, promoting repair and reuse rather than replacement. The company became a founding member of the Singapore Reuse Coalition in 2026.

In the construction sector, Trendbuild Contracts has grown into an 85-employee business since its establishment in 2010, while The MasterPlan produces more than 130 events annually, largely through referrals.

The Next Generation Leadership category recognised Wong Min Ying, chief operating officer of Asian Food Mall, and Victoria Goh, executive director and chief executive officer of Serial Achieva.

Goh, who became chief executive in February 2026, is leading the family-founded technology business beyond hardware distribution into artificial intelligence infrastructure, cloud solutions and GPU computing services.

Wong is overseeing the modernisation of Asian Food Mall, which has served Singapore's Filipino community for nearly three decades, while managing its portfolio of Filipino food brands.

The Impact Leadership Honour went to Wee Wei Ling, executive director of Sustainability Partnerships, Lifestyle and Asset at Pan Pacific Hotels Group.

Beyond her corporate responsibilities, Wee chaired the Project We Care corporate volunteerism network from 2012 to 2025 and co-founded Extra•Ordinary People, a charity supporting persons with diverse needs and their families.

The selection process involved a panel of corporate leaders, entrepreneurs, academics and industry experts assessing nominees on financial and organisational performance, leadership capabilities, talent development and their ability to create lasting value.

Shortlisted candidates were interviewed at their workplaces, allowing judges to assess their leadership styles and the environments in which they operate.

Chin Chee Choon, partner in Audit and Assurance at Forvis Mazars in Singapore and a member of the judging panel, said the honourees demonstrated purpose, adaptability and a commitment to helping others succeed.

He noted that sustainable leadership was increasingly defined not only by organisational performance but also by the ability to build resilient teams, strengthen institutions and create enduring impact.

The awards' evolution also builds on the community established through the WE Club, now known as WE Circle, which was created in 2017 to provide recipients with opportunities for mentoring, networking and learning.

The organisers said the wider platform would continue to retain its entrepreneurial roots while recognising women leading established corporations, family businesses and emerging enterprises.

For Singapore's business community, the expanded awards reflect a broader recognition that leadership development, succession planning, innovation and talent creation are essential to maintaining competitiveness in an evolving economy.