Dr Cheong Koon Hean is the CEO of the Housing and Development Board (HDB) overseeing the development and management of some 1 million public housing flats in 26 towns/estates. She is concurrently Deputy Secretary (Special Duties) in the Ministry of National Development.

Dr Cheong was also the CEO of the Urban Redevelopment Authority from 2004 to 2010, in charge of strategic land use planning, conservation of built heritage and the real estate market. She played a key role in the planning and development of major growth areas, such as Marina Bay as well as the Sino Singapore Tianjin Eco City. She is also a nominating committee member of the Lee Kuan Yew World City Prize.

Dr Cheong is on the Boards of the HDB, the National University of Singapore, the Civil Service College, as well as the International Federation for Housing and Planning; and previously on the boards of the international Urban Land Institute, JTC, Jurong Port, National Heritage Board and URA. Active internationally, she served on expert panels convened by the World Business Council for Sustainable Development, Brookings Institution and is currently on the World Economic Forum’s Real Estate and Urbanisation Global Agenda Council. In 2014, she was appointed the Tan Swan Beng Endowed Professor in Nanyang Technological University.

A Colombo Plan Scholar, Dr Cheong graduated with a first class honours degree and University Medal in Architecture (Newcastle); a Masters in Development Planning (University College London) and has completed an Advanced Management Programme (Harvard). In recognition of her contributions, Dr Cheong was conferred several national awards, including the Meritorious Service Medal for outstanding public service. In 2011, she was awarded an honorary doctorate in Architecture; and is a recipient of the Alumni’s 2010 Convocation Medal for Professional Excellence, the International Women’s Forum (Washington) `2011 Woman Who Make a Difference Award’; and inducted into the SCWO’s Hall of Fame in 2014.