Samaritans of Singapore Limited (SOS) is dedicated to providing confidential emotional support to individuals facing a crisis, thinking about or affected by suicide.
Non-religious and not for profit, our work focuses on crisis intervention and suicide prevention.
A state of hopelessness and despair due to overwhelming life circumstances.
A deliberate and voluntary act of taking one’s own life. A person may contemplate suicide when the crisis they are facing exceeds their ability to cope emotionally.
An external coping resource provided through compassion, empathy, and genuine concern. This is the first step in helping someone out of a crisis and hence reducing their risk of suicide.
Unique Entity Number (UEN): 202245684D
IPC status validity till: 1 March 2025
To be the premier organisation in suicide prevention
To be an available lifeline to anyone in crisis
Respect
Accountability
Confidentiality
Collaboration
Over the next 5 years, SOS will be focusing our efforts on three key areas
General Manager, Smit Singapore Pte Ltd
Sook Fung has been with Smit Singapore, part of a Dutch MNC in the marine industry for more than 43 years. Operating as a professional accountant by trade, she is also a member of the local senior management team for many years. Additionally, she has been serving on the board of various local companies of the Group since 1985.
Appointed Since: 28 July 2017
Board Meeting Attendance (FY22/23): 8/8
Senior Vice-President, Citibank N.A. Singapore
Roel is the Regulatory Engagement Lead for the Asia Pacific Operations and Technology Organisation. He has more than 28 years of experience in Financial Services, IT and Telecommunications and extensive experience in program, project and portfolio management, technology governance, risk and control. He was a volunteer with Befrienders in Malaysia for five years.
Appointed Since: 23 July 2021
Board Meeting Attendance (FY22/23): 8/8
Director of International Communications, Allergan Aesthetics, an AbbVie company (until 31 January 2024)
Judy is a seasoned, broad-based communications professional with more than 20 years of regional responsibilities in global healthcare and technology companies. She has been involved in the organisation’s training facilitation and focused on supporting the Board by leveraging her experience in corporate, executive and employee communications, issues management, media and community relations.
Appointed Since: 28 July 2017
Board Meeting Attendance (FY22/23): 8/8
Operations Finance Director, L’Oreal Singapore PTE LTD
Sharon was co-opted to the SOS Board in 2019 and was appointed as the Honorary Treasurer in 2020, filling a critical position with her professional competence and experience in finance. Prior to joining L’Oreal she was APAC CFO at JUUL Labs and has over twenty years of experience in the various corporate finance and accounting capacities that she has undertaken. Beyond her contributions to SOS, she had also volunteered her time at AWARE and Aidha.
Appointed Since: 29 September 2019
Board Meeting Attendance (FY22/23): 8/8
Senior Consultant, BME Services
Chris is a Senior Consultant at BME Services and Founder of The Lighthouse Coaching. Prior to that, he has been in senior management roles in the advertising, communication and marketing industry, taking on a range of international leadership positions with various companies including TBWA Worldwide as one of its Worldwide Managing Directors.
Appointed Since: 1 December 2023
Chief Human Resource Officer, Khoo Teck Puat Hospital & Yishun Health
Cynthia has more than 30 years of HR delivery experience supporting organisation growth and transformation. This includes the banking, manufacturing, retail and trading as well as the public sector. She is currently serving as a Chief Human Resource Officer, Khoo Teck Puat Hospital & Yishun Health.
Appointed Since: 1 January 2024
Adjunct Professor, Singapore Management University
Francis lectures in Business, Government and Society and provides different perspectives to the Board with his extensive experience in academia. Before joining SMU, he lectured in NUS for more than 20 years, teaching a range of subjects from Statistics to Accounting. He was also a Committee Member in the NUS Society, and volunteers as a senior guide at the Science Centre. He was on the SOS Board in the 90’s before and has stepped up again to serve.
Appointed Since: 23 July 2021
Board Meeting Attendance (FY22/23): 7/8
Adjunct Associate Professor, Department of Psychology, Faculty of Arts & Social Sciences, NUS
Mariam is a Chartered Psychologist and Associate Fellow of the British Psychological Society, with more than 25 years’ experience in providing professional advice and consultancy to educational institutions, social service agencies and families in Singapore. She is actively involved in several social service organisations in Singapore, including the National Council of Social Services, and is concurrently a Research Associate with the University College London (UCL), and an adjunct associate professor in Psychology Dept of National University Singapore and Office of Education Research in National Institute of Education, NTU.
Appointed Since: 1 September 2021
Board Meeting Attendance (FY22/23): 8/8
Director, Family Support Division Family Development Group Director, Professional Practice Development Office of the Director-General of Social Welfare Senior Lecturer, Social Work SR Nathan School of Human Development
Ms Ng began her social work career as a counsellor with the SAF Counselling Center, and completed her Masters in Social Work. Following which, she worked with Yup’ik Eskimo communities in Alaska as a school social worker. She was involved in policy work at the Rehabilitation and Protection Division, appointed Chief Probation Officer at Ministry of Social and Family Development (MSF), and became the Director-General of Social Welfare in 2012. She’s taken on roles such as the Director of Central Youth Guidance and teaching in SUSS, and now works in the Family Support Division.
Appointed Since: 1 October 2019
Board Meeting Attendance (FY22/23): 7/8
Chief Executive Officer, Bridge Mobile Pte Ltd
Geok Chwee has more than 25 years of experience in the information communications industry. She is currently the Chief Executive Officer of Bridge Mobile Pte Ltd. Before that, Geok Chwee was with Starhub and Singtel in various leadership positions. She is also the Chairperson of the IT Committee and is also on the Board of the Society for the Aged Sick.
Appointed Since: 1 December 2023
Mr Tan Kwang Cheak was formerly the CEO of the Agency for Integrated Care (AIC). His work experience spans over 25 years in the public, private and non-profit sectors. He was in the Singapore Administrative Service and held leadership appointments in MOE, MINDEF, MOM and JTC Corporation. In the non-public sector, he held leadership positions in McDonald’s Singapore, Singapore National Employers Federation, MOH Holdings Pte Ltd and was the Chief Human Resources Officer at NTUC Fairprice Cooperative Ltd.
Kwang Cheak has served on various national and Ministry level committees and councils. He is also a certified Institute of HR Professionals (IHRP) Master Professional, the pinnacle recognition for top HR leaders in Singapore.
Appointed Since: 01 April 2024
Gasper Tan is Chief Executive of Samaritans of Singapore Limited (SOS), Singapore’s lead agency for suicide prevention. Gasper has worked over three decades leading and growing companies of all sizes, from multinational corporations to start-ups. His experience and leadership have been focused on strategic management, as well as developing and steering dynamic business services across the Asian Pacific region.
Gasper’s accolades in the business sectors include achieving Top 10 fastest-growing firm in Singapore; and has participated in government projects, including the recent NCSS-led Beyond COVID-19 taskforce, which focuses on building social preparedness with community-focused initiatives. He is currently a member of the Inter-Agency Taskforce Work Group on Mental Health and Well-being. He has also held several board positions throughout his career.
As a strong advocate for strengthening community resilience, Gasper believes in empowering people and deepening collaborations to manage future challenges.
Appointed Since: 16 September 2019
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