On 23 April 2026, The EDB Society was happy to support the A*STAR Global Network Platinum Fireside Chat with Mr Heng Swee Keat at Capital Tower, bringing together members and distinguished guests for an evening of meaningful dialogue and reflection.

The conversation explored key issues shaping Singapore’s future, including the evolving geopolitical landscape, economic uncertainty, and rapid technological change. Mr Heng shared thoughtful perspectives on national priorities and reflected on the growing impact of AI on jobs, skills, and talent, highlighting the importance of building deep capabilities and applying innovation with purpose across sectors.

The evening was further enriched by Mr Heng’s personal reflections from his years in public service. Through stories from different stages of his career, he offered valuable insights into leadership, resilience, and decision-making in times of complexity and change. These reflections, shared with humility and sincerity, added warmth and depth to the discussion.

A recurring theme throughout the session was the need to advance innovation in an inclusive and responsible way. As Singapore continues to progress, Mr Heng emphasised the importance of supporting individuals and communities through transition, while remaining focused on creating meaningful impact and improving lives.

The session was engaging, reflective, and well received, with moments of both insight and light-hearted exchange. We are grateful to our attendees for their strong interest and participation, which helped make the session a meaningful and well-supported one. Our sincere appreciation goes to Mr Heng Swee Keat for his candid and generous sharing, and to our moderator, Juliana Chan, PhD, for guiding a dynamic and engaging conversation. Special thanks also to our venue sponsor, Capitaland for their generous support.

We look forward to welcoming you again at our future events.

Dear Members,

On behalf of my EXCO team, I would like to wish all our Christian members a Blessed Good Friday and a Holy Easter!

Best regards,

Mano

President, EDB Society

On 30 March 2026, The EDB Society and Temasek Alumni Network were honoured to have Mr Ong Ye Kung, Minister for Health and Coordinating Minister for Social Policies, for an insightful dialogue on navigating today's geopolitical landscape and Singapore's super-aged society.

It was a wide-ranging and thought-provoking fireside, where Minister Ong shared on how Singapore can stay relevant and remain an open, trusted and connected hub amidst rising geopolitical tensions. He emphasised preventive health as the core of healthcare transformation anchored by Healthier SG. He also highlighted the critical intersection of preventive health and AI, and importance of staying firmly use-case driven to deliver real benefits.

Following the fireside chat, we had an engaging panel discussion moderated by Mr Yeoh Keat Chuan, EDB alumnus and Head of Enterprise Development at Temasek International. The panel brought together diverse perspectives from Professor John Wong Eu-Li (Executive Director, Centre for Population Health, NUS), Dr Sue-Anne Toh (Co-founder & CEO, NOVI Health), and Professor Brian Kennedy (Director, Centre for Healthy Longevity, NUHS), who shared practical actionable insights on advancing health and longevity in our personal lives, and community initiatives for a super-aged Singapore.

In his opening address, EDB Society President, Manohar Khiatani, announced that members had chalked up a total of 31.4 million steps as a build-up to the event. In recognition of this , EDB Society and Temasek Alumni would jointly be donating $12,000 to St. Luke's ElderCare.

The event was attended by some 180 members and guests, who thoroughly enjoyed the dialogue and the networking opportunity.

We would like to thank Minister Ong, our distinguished panellists, our venue partners, CapitaLand, and all participants for making the event such a success!

Dear EDB Society Members,

On behalf of my EXCO members, I would like to wish all Muslim members and their loved ones a joyous Hari Raya Puasa. May this festive season bring peace, happiness and prosperity to you and your family.

Warmest regards,

Mano

Dear Members,

On behalf of my EXCO members, I would like to wish all our Members and your loved ones a joyful and prosperous Lunar New Year. May the year ahead bring you good health, happiness and success in all that you do.

Warmest regards,

Mano

On 15 January 2026, The EDB Society was honoured to welcome Mr Gan Kim Yong, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Trade and Industry, for a discussion on the opportunities and challenges that faced the Singapore economy. Many members shared their perspectives and there was a lively exchange with DPM Gan, especially on how Singapore was going to adapt in a more uncertain global environment.

The event was attended by over 130 members and guests. We thank all participants for registering your interest and making it a point to attend and arrive on time, for enthusiastically asking questions during Q&A, and for staying on for the networking session.

Dear EDB Society Members,

As we commemorate Singapore’s 60th National Day, let us take this milestone moment to reflect on how far we’ve come and project on what possibly lies ahead.

Since independence was thrust upon us in 1965, Singapore has defied the odds and thrived as a nation. We have evolved from a trading post to a global and innovation hub for many industries. Our GDP per capita has grown from around US$500 to over US$90,000 i.e. 180 times, over this period!  Even in our wildest dreams we could not have imagined this achievement in 1965.

As former and current EDBians we are indeed fortunate and privileged to have played a central role in this miracle. EDB’s indomitable  spirit and ‘Dare to Dream, Dare to Do’ mindset across generations of EDB officers, has been a crucial factor in Singapore’s economic success. Not surprisingly therefore, for most of us, even as we moved on to other careers, the time that we spent in EDB remains memorable and binds us as a community.

Given our success over the last 60 years, there is every reason for us to face the future with confidence. However, it is also true that the global environment has changed significantly in the last few years. Today, we find ourselves in a world marked by growing geopolitical tensions, economic fragmentation, deglobalization, rapid technological shifts and environmental challenges. These uncertainties will test the resilience and adaptability of nations and Singapore will have to respond to these challenges.  Amidst these challenges we will also find opportunities that will ensure that Singapore continues to remain relevant and provides a good quality of life for our people. No doubt, EDB, with its can-do spirit, will again be central to addressing the challenges and exploiting the opportunities, as we have always done.  

With that, dear friends, here’s wishing you and your families a wonderful National Day as our country celebrates its 60th birthday!

Majulah Singapura!

Warm regards,

Mano

President, EDB Society

On 16 July 2025, The EDB Society and Temasek Alumni Network proudly hosted the second instalment of our energy transition series, “Exploring Global Decarbonisation Solutions: Strategic Opportunities for Singapore.”

We were honoured to welcome Mr Ravi Menon, Singapore’s Ambassador for Climate Action and Senior Adviser to the National Climate Change Secretariat, as our Guest-of-Honour. The highlight of the evening was a thought-provoking fireside chat with Ambassador Ravi, moderated by Mr Frederick Teo, CEO of GenZero. Ambassador Ravi offered his perspectives and shared valuable insights on the global climate agenda. He was realistic about dealing with the challenges and hard truths, while staying optimistically focused on the opportunities for climate action.

The session was followed by an excellent panel discussion, skillfully moderated by Mr Toh Wee Khiang, EDB alumnus and Director of the Hydrogen & Sustainable Energies Office at EMA. The panel featured distinguished speakers, namely Ms Aw Kah Peng, Chairman of Shell Companies in Singapore, Mr Bernd Heid, Senior Partner at McKinsey & Company and Global Lead for Climate Technologies and the Hydrogen Service Line, and Prof. Thomas Jaramillo, Professor in the Department of Chemical Engineering at Stanford University. The panel discussion covered a range of global issues, ranging from decarbonisation opportunities in the light of the Trump Administration's agenda, to hydrogen innovation, to lessons learnt from Europe's energy transition, to prospects of low carbon fuels for Singapore.

The event was attended by over 150 members and guests, which included Temasek alumnus and A*STAR representatives. We thank all participants for registering your interest and making it a point to attend and arrive on time, for enthusiastically asking questions during Q&A, and for staying on for the networking session.

Dear Members,

On behalf of my EXCO team, I would like to wish all our Muslim members Selamat Hari Raya Haji.

Best Regards,

Mano

Dear Members,

On behalf of my EXCO team, I would like to wish all our Buddhist members a blessed and peaceful Vesak Day!

Best Regards,

Mano

President, EDB Society

Dear Members,

On behalf of my EXCO team, I would like to wish all our Christian members a Blessed Good Friday and a Holy Easter!

Best Regards,

Mano

President, EDB Society

The EDB Society and Temasek Alumni Network organised a forum titled "Singapore's Energy Transition Pathway" on 14 April 2025 at Big Picture Auditorium at Capital Tower.

We were honoured to have our Guest-of-Honour, Dr Tan See Leng, Minister for Manpower and Second Minister for Trade and Industry, share about Singapore’s energy transition efforts. The fireside chat was moderated by Mr Russell Tham (Head of Emerging Technologies, Temasek), and it was an enriching dialogue on how Singapore can progress on our strategies amidst sharper trade-offs in the energy & carbon space.

Following the fireside chat with Minister, there was a panel discussion, moderated by our EXCO member, Mr Dennis Tan, Executive Director, Surbana Jurong. Our distinguished panel consisted of Mr Russell Tham, Mr Teo Eng Dih (Chief Executive Officer, MPA), Ms Janice Bong (Managing Director, Power and Renewables, Keppel) and Mr Lim Wey-Len (Executive Vice President, EDB). It was an insightful session as our panllists shared openly about the challenges and immense opportunities that have emerged in energy transition.

The event received very good response and we were happy to host more than 180 members and guests.

Dear Members,

On behalf of my EDB Society EXCO team, I would like to wish all our Muslim members and families Selamat Hari Raya Adilfitri.

May this occasion bring you boundless joy and blessings!

Regards,

Mano

President, EDB Society

On 25th March 2025, the EDB Society organised a Career Development Forum: Navigating your career compass and making meaningful choices. Close to 50 members and guests attended the forum held at the SGInnovate premises. Our distinguished panel comprising Mr Tan Choon Shian, CEO of Tote Board, Mr Suresh Sachi, Deputy Chief Executive of A*STAR, Ms Lynette Tan, CEO of Space Faculty and Dr Lisa Ooi, Assistant Chief Executive of A*STAR, shared candidly from their personal experiences, imparting wisdom they derived from their own career journeys. The audience also engaged actively in the Q&A session, seeking answers to the questions they have as they navigate through their various career transitions. Everyone who attended went back with a personal takeaway. We thank our panellists and audience for being part of this enlightening session.

Dear Members,

On behalf of your EDB Society EXCO, I would like to wish all our members and your loved ones a very Happy, Healthy and Prosperous Lunar New Year! Gong Xi Fa Cai!

We have exciting events lined up for you in the year of the Snake -- we look forward to seeing you all there!

Best wishes

Mano

Manohar Khiatani

President, The EDB Society