Desmond Kuek

Desmond Kuek Bak Chye is a Singaporean business executive and former military officer. He was the sixth Chief of Defence Force of the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF), holding the rank of Lieutenant-General. He is the President and Chief Executive Officer of SMRT Corporation.

Education
Kuek received his secondary and pre-university education in Anglo-Chinese School and Anglo-Chinese Junior College respectively. He was awarded an overseas scholarship by the Singapore Armed Forces in 1982. He holds a Bachelor of Arts (honours) and a Master of Arts in engineering science from the University of Oxford, as well as a Master of Public Administration in macroeconomics and statistics from Harvard University. Kuek also attended the Command and Staff Course at Camberley Staff College in the U.K. in 1991.

Military career
Kuek enlisted in the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) in 1981. Throughout his career in the SAF, he held various appointments, including the following: Commanding Officer, 41st Battalion Singapore Armoured Regiment; Head of Defence Studies Department, Ministry of Defence; Commander, 4th Singapore Armoured Brigade; Assistant Chief of the General Staff (Operations); Commander, 3rd Division; Director, Joint Intelligence Directorate; Chief of Staff, General Staff; Chief of Army (2003–2007). On 23 March 2007, he succeeded Ng Yat Chung as the Chief of Defence Force.

Kuek relinquished his appointment as the Chief of Defence Force on 31 March 2010 and was succeeded by Neo Kian Hong.

Post-military career
After leaving the military, Kuek served as the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of the Environment and Water Resources from 1 July 2010 to September 2010. During his tenure, he co-chaired the Environment and Water Technologies (Clean Water) Executive Committee and the Steering Committee on CleanTech Park. He was also a member of the Centre for Strategic Futures Advisory Board and the Advisory Group for Civil Service Governance & Leadership (Human Resource). He sits on the Civil Service College Board and chairs its audit committee. He also held directorships on the boards of the following companies: Housing and Development Board, from 2001 to 2003; International Enterprise Singapore, in 2005; JTC Corporation, from 2007 to 2010; Defence Science and Technology Agency, from 2007 to 2010; ST Engineering and its various subsidiaries, from 1994 to 2010.

Kuek became the President and Chief Executive Officer of SMRT Corporation on 1 October 2012.

Family
Kuek is married to Claudel Kuek, the managing director of PowerMoves Pilates in the Park. They have two children.

Awards

 * Public Administration Medal (Military) (Gold), in 2002.
 * Meritorious Service Medal (Military), in 2009.
 * Legion of Honour (Commander)