Leo Yip, Chairman, Singapore Economic Development Board, Singapore

Leo Yip joined the Singapore Police Force in September 1982 upon receiving the Singapore Police Force (Overseas) Scholarship. After graduating with an Economics degree from the University of Cambridge UK, he returned to serve the police in July of1985. He earned a Master’s of Business Administration from the University of Warwick, UK in 1991, and a Master’s in Public Administration from the JFK School of Government, Harvard University, USA in 1994. During his time with the Singapore Police Force he held a series of policy, planning, and command appointments. His last position was as Director (Operations) at police headquarters.

In January 2000, he became Principal Private Secretary to then-Senior Minister Lee Kuan Yew. In August 2002 he joined the Ministry of Manpower as the Deputy Secretary in charge of policy and development matters. His responsibilities covered labor relations and welfare, human capital development, manpower policy and planning, corporate planning, and organization development. He led the Ministry’s work to establish the Singapore Workforce Development Agency (WDA) in 2003, and served concurrently as Chief Executive of the WDA from September 2003 to June 2005.

Mr. Yip was Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Manpower from July 2005 to September 2009. He led the ministry’s policy and operations work covering manpower planning, workforce upgrading, foreign workforce policy, occupational safety and health, industrial relations, workplace practices, Central Provident Fund policy, human capital development, and global talent attraction.

Mr. Yip joined the Singapore Economic Development Board (EDB) as Deputy Chairman in September 2008. He was appointed Chairman of the EDB on 1 July 2009. He also chairs the Boards of Directors of EDB Investments and EDBI.