Philip Jeyaretnam to be new Sota chair

Accalaimed writer and Senior Counsel Philip Jeyaretnam, 50, will succeed Mr Lee Tzu Yang as board chairman of the School of the Arts (Sota) on Jan 31.

This follows Thursday's announcement that Mr Lee, 59, would take over from Mrs Theresa Foo as chairman of The Esplanade Co on Jan 1.

Mr Lawrence Wong, Minister for Culture, Community and Youth, welcomed Mr Lee and Mr Jeyaretnam to their respective posts. In a press statement, he said: "I am confident that Tzu Yang will continue to leave his mark on our arts landscape in his new role at the Esplanade.

"Philip's vast experience in various leading cultural initiatives will put him in a good position to lead the board in charting Sota's next stage of development."

Mr Lee was a member of the steering committee responsible for setting up Sota, the country's first pre-tertiary school specialising in the arts.

The former chairman of Shell Companies in Singapore has led its board since the school's inception in 2006.

Mr Jeyaretnam is managing partner of law firm Rodyk & Davidson. He was a member of the National Arts Council from 2000 to 2008 and has chaired the steering committee of the Singapore Writers Festival since 2007.

He said: "I am delighted to join Sota's mission to build up the next generation of creative professionals, artists and leaders who will impact and influence society in countless ways. Tzu Yang has laid a solid foundation for the next phase of Sota's development."

corriet@sph.com.sg

This article was first published on Dec 6, 2014.
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