Trailblazers - Advisory Committee

Shirley is a results-driven business leader and entrepreneur with over 30 years of experience in the IT and Technology industry. She currently serves as the Managing Partner at TNF Ventures Pte Ltd, a seed and early-stage venture fund focusing on technology startups.

From 2013 to 2016, Shirley was the Chairman of Singapore Infocomm Technology Federation, now known as SGTech. In 1994, she co-founded Frontline Technologies, which was listed on the Singapore Exchange in March 2001. Under her leadership, the company grew from a team of 8 to a 5000-strong workforce spread across 11 countries in Asia Pacific, before being acquired by British Telecom Global Services in March 2008.

Since 2013, Shirley's focus has shifted to investing in and mentoring technology-based startups. She actively helps startups secure funding and gain market access while remaining passionate about entrepreneurship and innovative technology. Shirley is also the Entrepreneur-in-Residence at Singapore Management University's Institute of Innovation & Entrepreneurship, where she assists in developing a world-class incubation program.

Shirley has been the Chairperson of the President’s Technology Award from 2017 to 2019, recognizing outstanding contributions to R&D in Singapore. Shirley has chaired the Lee Kuan Yew Global Business Plan Competition for the past three editions, a platform that empowers the next generation of innovators from universities worldwide to develop sustainable urban innovation!

In addition, Shirley serves on the boards of Assurity Trusted Solutions, DSO National Laboratories, Netlink NBN, National Kidney Foundation, and Yellow Ribbon Singapore. She is a member of the CAAS authority committee on Cybersecurity and Data Governance, PDPA Advisory, and SIA Engineering Technology Advisory Board. Shirley was recognized as one of Singapore's 100 Women in Tech 2020 for her significant contributions to the tech sector.

Shirley Wong
Entrepreneur-in-Residence, SMU Institute of Innovation & Entrepreneurship & Managing Partner
TNF Ventures Pte Ltd

Jixun Foo is a senior managing partner at Granite Asia. He leads the firm’s overall investment strategy and portfolio management.

Jixun has spent the last 20 years working with entrepreneurs in the mobility, transportation and enterprise services sectors in Asia. He is best known for his early investments into companies like Baidu (NASDAQ: BIDU), Grab, Xpeng Motors (NYSE: XPEV) and his critical roles in strategic mergers and acquisitions, such as those of Youku-Tudou (the first ever multi-billion-dollar tech merger in China), Baidu/Qunar, Ctrip/Qunar, and Manbang (Yunmanman/Huachebang). His portfolio includes 22 companies valued at more than $1 billion each.

Jixun was previously a Director at Draper Fisher Jurvetson ePlanet Ventures, where he led investment efforts in Asian companies such as Baidu (NASDAQ: BIDU). Prior to DFJ ePlanet, Jixun headed up the Investment Group under the Finance & Investment Division of the National Science & Technology Board of Singapore (NSTB) and was previously an R&D project group leader at Hewlett Packard.

Born and raised in Singapore, Jixun is highly respected in the Asia business community and serves on the boards of regional and global organisations including PSA International (Singapore) and Bombardier (Canada).

He has been named as one of the Top 10 Venture Capitalists by Zero2IPO as well as "VC Professional of the Year" by the Asia Venture Capital Journal. He frequently appears on the global Forbes Midas list, including 2019-2023, and was recognised among the Top 100 Venture Capitalists by The New York Times/CBInsights in 2019.

Jixun is an alumnus of the National University of Singapore, obtained a First-Class Honours in Engineering and later, earned an M.Sc. in Management of Technology from the esteemed Graduate School of Business.

Jixun Foo
Senior Managing Partner
Granite Asia

David’s role involves leading Innovate UK’s global activities working with international partners and networks to build collaborations and delivering programmes in support of innovative high growth UK businesses seeking global innovation and research and development opportunities.

Innovate UK, as UK’s national innovation agency, provides support for businesses to develop and realise the potential of new ideas and to grow and scale globally.

David has been with Innovate UK since it was established 2007 (as the Technology Strategy Board) and was responsible for developing ‘Connect & Catalyse’ and ‘Concept to Commercialisation’, the first two strategies of the organisation.

He has been involved in developing many of the ways it supports business including Small Business Research Initiative (Contracts for Innovation), Catapult centres, the Enterprise Europe Network and Innovate UK Business Growth, as well as its global programmes including joint programmes with Canada, USA, India, China, Singapore, South Korea, Japan, Taiwan and Brazil.

Prior to joining Innovate UK, David worked for the UK Department of Trade and Industry (now Department for Science, Innovation and Technology) covering a range of different areas including innovation policy as well as working directly for government ministers.

During 2022, David was Chair of Taftie, the Network of Leading European Innovation Agencies and remains a Board member.

David Golding
Head of Global Innovation Partnerships
Innovate UK

Mr Lim Eng Hwee is the Chief Executive Officer of the Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA) with effect from 1st September 2017. URA is Singapore’s national planning agency, responsible for the physical planning and urban development of Singapore.

Mr Lim was formerly the Chief Planner and Deputy Chief Executive Officer of URA from 2009 to 2017. He has extensive experience in urban planning, urban design, implementation of land use policies and development initiatives. He also served in the Ministry of National Development and Ministry of Trade and Industry.

He served as a member in the Boards of Land Transport Authority, Singapore Cooperation Enterprise, Singapore Science Centre, International Federation for Housing and Planning and Singapore Tourism Board. He currently sits on the Board of National Environment Agency.

Mr Lim graduated with a Bachelor of Planning from the University of Auckland. He also holds a Master in Public Administration from the Harvard University and attended the Wharton Advanced Management Program at the University of Pennsylvania.

Lim Eng Hwee
Chief Executive Officer
Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA)

Mr Lim Teck Kiat currently serves as Deputy Secretary (Resilience) in the Ministry of Sustainability and the Environment (MSE) of the Republic of Singapore. He oversees water and food policies, as well as the Ministry’s international relations, communications and engagement functions.

Teck Kiat also serves as a board member of Yellow Ribbon Singapore, an agency that reintegrates ex-offenders and ensures that they have a second chance in life.  Prior to MSE, he has served in the Prime Minister’s Office, in the Public Service Division,  and in the Ministries of Social Development, National Development, Transport and Law. He has experience in designing and implementing social policies to build a caring and inclusive society, in building human capital, in climate change negotiations and in building eco-cities.  He has also worked on developing Singapore as a maritime hub and enhancing access to legal aid.  Before joining the Singapore Civil Service, Teck Kiat worked with Motorola in Shanghai.

Teck Kiat is an alumni of Harvard Kennedy School, the National University of Singapore and Nanyang Technological University. Teck Kiat volunteers in community programmes in his free time.

Lim Teck Kiat
Deputy Secretary (Resilience)
Ministry for Sustainability ​and the Environment​

Shlomo Magdassi is a professor at The Hebrew University of Jerusalem's Institute of Chemistry. His research centers on micro and nanomaterials, with a focus on their applications in 2D 3D and 4D printing. He is the founder of 3D printing center of the Hebrew University, was the Chair of HUJI Innovate, the entrepreneurship center of the Hebrew University, and the former Chair of the Insitute of Chemistry. Currently is is the Vice-Dean for entrepreneurship. Throughout his career, he has published more than 350 papers, edited four books, and holds approximately 300 patents and patent applications. His industrial research outcome includes creating numerous commercial activities, including start-up companies, licensing agreements, and worldwide sales. In recognition of his contributions, he was awarded the 2016 European Colloid and Interface Society Solvay Award, the 2022 Johann Gutenberg Prize by the Society for Imaging Science and Technology, the 2022 Israel Chemical Award for Outstanding Scientist, and the 2024 Landau Award for outstanding achievements in arts and sciences. He is a Fellow of the National Academy of Inventors.

Webpage: https://magdassi.huji.ac.il/

Prof Shlomo Magdassi
Professor of Chemistry
Hebrew University of Jerusalem

Ms Poh was appointed Managing Director of the Singapore Economic Development Board (EDB) on 4 October 2021.​

She was previously Deputy Secretary in the Prime Minister’s Office Strategy Group, which leads and organises the Public Service to develop and implement the strategic priorities of the Government. She also oversaw the National Population and Talent Division and the Centre for Strategic Futures.​

Ms Poh was the founding Chief Executive of the Government Technology Agency of Singapore(GovTech), and was previously the Managing Director of the Infocommunications Development Authority (IDA). She has also held key positions in the Ministry of Manpower, the Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of Defence.​

Ms Poh is an alumnus of Oxford, Cambridge, INSEAD (MBA) and Stanford. She has three teenagers and more patience than before she had them.​

She currently sits on the Boards of SingHealth and St Luke’s Eldercare, and is a member of the Young Presidents’ Organisation and the World Economic Forum Global Futures Council.​

Jacqueline Poh
Managing Director
Singapore Economic Development Board (EDB)

A/Professor Cher Heng Tan graduated with MBBS (Singapore) and FRCR (UK). He completed his Abdominal Imaging Fellowship at MD Anderson Cancer Center, and thereafter, Executive MBA from Insead. He is presently Senior Consultant with the Department of Diagnostic Radiology at Tan Tock Seng Hospital, where he also serves as Assistant Chairman Medical Board (Clinical Research and Innovation). 

At the National Healthcare Group, Cher Heng is Group Chief Research and Innovation Officer and previously Executive Director, Centre for Healthcare Innovation. He is concurrently Assistant Dean (Clinical Research) for the Lee Kong Chian School of Medicine, and responsible for bridging clinicians to academia, facilitating the development and translation of technology into healthcare. He is involved in the setting up of the Academic Health System between NHG and LKCMedicine-NTU Singapore, as Director of the joint Academic Partnerships Office.

Cher Heng holds leadership positions in various Radiology societies locally and internationally. He was previously Senior Fellow in MOH, under the Healthcare Family Fellowship Programme for which he oversaw the formulation and implementation of guidelines for appropriateness criteria for use of imaging technology and is co-Chair for the national imaging AI platform (AimSG).

Cher Heng Tan
Group Chief Research and Innovation Officer
National Healthcare Group