Meet our Jury
TAI LEE SIANG
FOUNDER
Cities of Love Awards
Tai Lee Siang practiced as architect and urban planner since 1990. His key projects won both local and international award and was featured in a URA exhibition “20 under 45” in March 2004. He held the position as President of Singapore Institute of Architects from 2007 to 2009. In 2009, following his contribution to the design world, he is elected by the design industry as the first chairman of Design Alliance of Singapore, DesignS – an alliance representing 9 design associations in Singapore. In 2011, he was elected as President of Singapore Green Building Council. Under his leadership, the first green building product certification scheme in Singapore was established. On the design front, he was elected President of Design Business Chamber Singapore in 2013. He started the Singapore Good Design Mark in 2014.
Tai Lee Siang is committed to expanding his contribution worldwide. In 2013, he was elected as a Board Director of World Green Building Council. Through his active participation, he was recognised by the global body and was subsequently elected as Chairman in June 2016. Tai Lee Siang also previously held the position of Group Managing Director of Ong&Ong Group – a multi-discipline design firm of 900 strong. He is also Board Member of Health Science Authority and Board of Trustee of Singapore University of Technology and Design.
Tai Lee Siang is a thought leader and strong advocate in the fields of Design, Sustainability and Organisation Transformation. He believes that Design is key to the transformation of societies and ensuring sustainability. There remains a big gap between these strategic ideology and public appreciation. Therefore, he is particularly concerned about the need to educate the public on the urgency of battling climate change and ground up participation.
ESTHER AN
CHIEF SUSTAINABILITY OFFICER
City Developments Ltd (CDL)
A pioneer CSR practitioner for over 20 years, Esther is instrumental in building up CDL’s sustainability leadership.
CDL is the first and only Singapore company listed on the Global 100 Most Sustainable Corporations in the World for 8 consecutive years and is currently ranked top real estate company. It is also the first to be included in leading global sustainability benchmarks such as the FTSE4Good Index Series since 2002, MSCI ESG Research (AAA rating) since 2009 and Dow Jones Sustainability Indexes since 2011. Furthering its position as a sustainability leader, CDL successfully issued a green bond in April 2017, the first in Singapore by a local company.
A committee member of the Global Compact Network Singapore, which is the local network of UN Global Compact for CSR, Esther is a member of the World Green Building Council’s Corporate Advisory Board and the Urban Land Institute Women’s Leadership Initiative Singapore Steering Committee. Her latest appointments include: member of the UNEP Finance Initiative Property Working Group, GRI Corporate Leadership Group for Integrated Reporting and Sustainable Stock Exchanges’ Green Finance Advisory Group.
ALLEN ANG
GENERAL MANAGER, PROJECT MANAGEMENT & SUSTAINABLE DESIGN
Keppel Land
Allen Ang is currently the General Manager of Project Management & Sustainable Design of Keppel Land. His responsibilities include driving high standards in quality, liveability, aesthetics and sustainability for the Keppel Land group.
Beyond his corporate role, Mr Ang is a firm propagator of multi-stakeholder approach to raise eco-consciousness. He is serving at the North West Development Council (NWCDC) as District Councillor and Co-Chairman of the Green Committee, where he shares his views on environmental issues and promotes green living. The NWCDC won the Clean & Green Singapore Best Community Achievement Awards in 2012, 2015 and 2016. At NWCDC, he also chairs fundraising events for needy residents in the district.
Winner of the inaugural BCA-SGBC Green Advocate Individual Award in 2011, Allen is also a NParks Community-In-Bloom Ambassador, advocating the provision of greenery in properties and helping to promote community gardening. He is also a Council Member of Public Hygiene Council and Member of Property Board of National Healthcare Group. Allen was awarded The Public Service Medal and The Public Service Star Medal from The President of The Republic of Singapore in 2012 and 2016.
DR. MARY-ANN TSAO
CHAIRMAN & FOUNDING DIRECTOR
Tsao Foundation
Mary Ann Tsao is the Chairman and Founding Director of the Tsao Foundation, a Singapore-based – but regionally oriented – non-profit operational foundation dedicated to aged care and ageing issues. Previously, she was also its CEO and President.
Tsao Foundation aims to address issues of population ageing, promote successful ageing and enhance wellbeing of older people at policy and practice levels by catalyzing constructuve change.
Dr. Tsao serves on numerous boards and committees of government and non-profit organizations in Singapore as well as internationally. For her work on ageing, she received the Public Service Medal (PBM) in 2000, Public Service Star (BBM) in 2004, and Public Service Star (Bar) in 2015 from the government of Singapore.
Dr. Tsao has also worked with numerous multilateral agencies, such as WHO Geneva office’s Ageing and Life Course unit, and has been a resource person and technical advisor to other UN agencies, such as UNESCAP (United Nations Economic and Social Commission for the Asia Pacific) and the ASEAN Secretariat.
A member of a business family, Dr. Tsao is also involved with FBNA (Family Business Netowrk Asia) as a Board Director as well as various family business and non-profit projects.
Born and raised in Hong Kong, Dr. Tsao is a US trained physician with a public health background, specializing in community and primary care planning and social medicine. She has extensive experience working with disadvantaged communities in the US and Singapore.
ANG KIAN SENG
GROUP DIRECTOR, ENVIRONMENTAL SUSTAINABILITY GROUP
Building and Construction Authority (BCA), Singapore
BCA’s mission is to shape a safe, high quality, sustainable and friendly built environment.
The Environmental Sustainability Group initiates and implements policies and measures to enhance the sustainability of the built environment.
As Group Director of the Environmental Sustainability Group, Kian Seng oversees the BCA Green Mark Scheme which certifies buildings on their level of environmental friendliness and energy efficiency. Kian Seng plays an instrumental role in the formulation and implementation of BCA’s 3rd Green Masterplan, with the long term goal of greening 80% of Singapore’s buildings by 2030. The Masterplan will guide Singapore’s green building journey, placing more emphasis on stakeholder engagement and collaboration to create a deeper community involvement in sustainable development.
Kian Seng is the 2nd Vice President of the Singapore Green Building Council. He is also
Board Director of the BCA Centre for Sustainable Buildings- a Centre Collaborating with UNEP, since its launch in Aug 2011. He was BCA’s representative in the UNEP – Sustainable Buildings and Climate Initiative (UNEP-SBCI)’s Sustainable Buildings Index (SBIndex) Steering Committee from 2010 to 2012. In addition, he co-chaired the Conference and Scientific Committee at the Regional Sustainable Building 2013 (SB13) Singapore. He has been the International Green Building Conference (IGBC) conference and scientific panel Co-Chair since 2012.
Kian Seng was also Singapore’s representative in the International Energy Agency (IEA) Solar Heating and Cooling Programme (SHC) Executive Committee Member in 2011-2014.
