Thales appoints Emily Tan as Country Director and Chief Executive for Singapore
- Hailing from global energy giant Shell, Emily brings over twenty-five years of international management experience gained from both the public and private sectors.
- Emily will lead Thales' 2,000-strong employee base in Singapore, and drive the company's strategic growth across wide-ranging sectors from Aerospace and Defence to Digital Identity & Security.
- With deep investments in digital technologies in recent years, Emily's appointment as the Group's new country head underscores Singapore's strategic importance as the regional hub for Thales in Asia.
Thales, a global leader in advanced technologies, has appointed Emily Tan as Country Director for Thales Singapore and as Chief Executive Officer for Thales Solutions Asia Pte Ltd, effective 1st September 2022. Singaporean native, Emily succeeds Kevin Chow who will continue his Thales career in a senior leadership role at Thales' Airspace Mobility Solutions business in France.
As Country Director, Emily will lead over 2,000 Thales employees and drive the company's growth across three sites in Singapore, including the Group's largest multi-module Digital Identity & Security manufacturing centre located at Ayer Rajah Crescent, and the Group's largest avionics production and Maintenance, Repair & Overhaul (MRO) facility at Changi North Rise.
Prior to joining Thales, Emily spent fourteen years with Shell, mostly recently as General Manager, City Solutions for Shell's Renewables and Energy Solutions business. In this role, she led global teams based in Asia, Europe and the United States, supporting global clients in navigating energy transition and developing cities' decarbonisation plans. As General Manager for Shell Bitumen from 2013 to 2017, Emily played an instrumental role in establishing the company's market lead in Asia and the Middle East.
Starting her career with the Singapore Economic Development Board (EDB), Emily brings a keen understanding of Singapore's public sector where she spent three years in London as Director of EDB's London Centre, and later as the Head of International Policy and Lead Negotiator for International Trade Agreements.
I am pleased to welcome Emily to Thales and to support her as she begins charting the way forward for Singapore. Her outstanding career here and abroad, together with her appreciation of key technologies that Thales is investing in, makes her a natural fit to lead our Singapore team. Over the last fifty years, Thales has made deep investments in Singapore to grow our presence and reputation as a digital technology leader here. We look forward to deepening our customer relationships and expanding our business under Emily's leadership, notably in new and fast-growing areas such as 5G, Cloud, Biometrics and FinTech.
Nicolas Bouverot
Vice-President, Thales Asia
Thales' dedication to design, develop and invest in future-proof technologies was what drew me to join the Group. I am thrilled to be a part of a forward-looking and innovative organisation that aims to revolutionise the technologies we use, ensuring they help build a safer, sustainable and trustable future for everyone. The Group's ambitions also aligns closely to that of Singapore's, and I am excited for the many potential opportunities this brings, where Thales can play a collaborative role with key stakeholders to support Singapore as a smart and sustainable nation.
Emily Tan
Country Director & Chief Executive, Thales in Singapore
Recognising the strategic importance of Singapore, Thales remains committed to strengthening its presence in Asia Pacific, where the city-state plays an essential role as a regional hub for the Group's key businesses including in Aerospace, Defence & Security, Ground Transportation and Digital Identity & Security. In recent years, Thales has made strategic investments in Singapore, including establishing the Thales Digital Factory in 2018, and opening joint research and co-development labs with customers and partners including the Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore and HTX.
About Thales
Thales (Euronext Paris: HO) is a global leader in advanced technologies, investing in digital and “deep tech” innovations – connectivity, big data, artificial intelligence, cybersecurity and quantum technologies – to build a confident future crucial for the development of our societies. The Group provides its customers – businesses, organizations and governments – in the defense, aeronautics, space, transport, and digital identity and security domains with solutions, services and products that help them fulfil their critical role, consideration for the individual being the driving force behind all decisions.
Thales has 81,000 employees in 68 countries. In 2021, the Group generated sales of €16.2 billion.
About Thales in Singapore
Established in 1973, Thales has been present in Singapore for close to 50 years, providing state-of-the-art solutions for customers across many sectors including Aerospace, Defence & Security, Ground Transportation and Digital Identity & Security.
Thales today employs over 2,000 people in the country and remains committed to furthering Singapore’s ambition as a regional innovation hub in Southeast Asia. At present, the Group houses one of its five Research & Technology labs and its first Digital Factory outside of Europe in Singapore.
Thales also has a substantial manufacturing footprint in Singapore, as it houses the Group’s largest avionics production and Maintenance, Repair & Overhaul (MRO) facility at Changi North Rise, as well as it’s largest and only multi-product manufacturing facility that produces banking cards, micro-modules, radio frequency antennas and passport datapages at Ayer Rajah Crescent.
