Singapore, 12 January 2024 (Friday) - The Singapore Management University is pleased to announce the appointment of two new members to its Board of Trustees with effect from 12 January 2024. Their appointment will be for an initial term of three years.

The new members are:

• Dr Andrew David Hamilton – President Emeritus, New York University
• Mr Don Lam – Chief Executive Officer & Founding Partner, VinaCapital Group

Dr Andrew Hamilton

Dr Hamilton served as the 16th President of New York University (NYU) from January 2016 to June 2023. He skilfully navigated NYU through the challenges of COVID-19, leading to a surge in first-year admission applications and the University's most selective and diverse freshman classes. Dr Hamilton implemented measures to control tuition growth, enhance financial aid, and meet financial needs for incoming students.

Under his leadership, NYU achieved record-high national and international recognition, exceeded $1 billion in research spending, appointed its first chief diversity officer, and received substantial philanthropic funding.

Before NYU, Dr Hamilton served as Vice Chancellor of Oxford University, where he improved governance, expanded academic initiatives, and modernised medical facilities. He also held leadership positions at Yale University, including serving four years as Provost, and began his academic career at Princeton University and the University of Pittsburgh.

Dr Hamilton is a renowned chemist with interests in organic and biological chemistry. He has received numerous awards for his scholarly contributions, including fellowship in the Royal Society and membership in prestigious academic organisations. Dr Hamilton earned degrees from the University of Exeter, the University of British Columbia, and the University of Cambridge, and conducted post-doctoral research at Université Louis Pasteur under Nobel Laureate Jean-Marie Lehn.

Mr Don Lam

Mr Don Lam is a prominent figure with an influential career spanning more than two decades in Vietnam. As a founding partner of VinaCapital, he has played a pivotal role in guiding the firm's growth. Since 2003, Mr Lam has transformed VinaCapital from managing a USD10 million fund into a leading investment management firm in Southeast Asia, now overseeing a diversified portfolio surpassing USD4 billion in assets under management across various sectors.

Beyond finance, Mr Lam's commitment to progress is evident in his establishment of the VinaCapital Foundation in 2006, dedicated to enhancing the lives of Vietnam's youth through health and education initiatives. Additionally, he holds key roles as Deputy Chairman of the Private Sector Development Committee and Vice Chairman at the Institute for Circular Economy Development, emphasising his dedication to sustainable business practices.

Prior to his tenure at VinaCapital, Mr Lam excelled as a Partner at PricewaterhouseCoopers (Vietnam), where he led corporate finance and management consulting across the Indochina region. His academic credentials include a degree in Commerce and Political Science from the University of Toronto, along with an honorary doctorate in business from the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology. Mr Lam is also esteemed as a distinguished member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Canada.

SMU is deeply honoured to have such experienced and highly recognised leaders join the SMU Board of Trustees and the Board and management will benefit tremendously from their expertise and insights in their respective fields of expertise.

Grateful thanks

SMU would like to thank three members of the Board of Trustees who have stepped down on the conclusion of their respective term of appointment on 11 January 2024.

• Mr Paul Beh, Former Chairman, Asia Pacific, Reed Exhibitions, had been a member of the Board of Trustees since January 2005. He served as a member of the Finance and Remuneration (FinRem) Committee throughout these 19 years and chaired the FinRem Committee for nearly 7 years. He also served as a member of the Audit Committee and Campus Development Advisory Committee. Mr Beh has kindly agreed to continue serving as a director of SMU Overseas Pte Ltd, a fully owned subsidiary of SMU which functions as the holding company for our Overseas Centres.
• Mr Jaime Augusto Zobel de Ayala, Chairman, Ayala Corporation, had been a member of the Board of Trustees since 2010. He was the founding Chairman of SMU’s International Advisory Council in the Philippines, and SMU is grateful that he has agreed to continue in that role.
• Mr Lim Ming Yan had been a member of the Board of Trustees since January 2020 and had served on the FinRem Committee since February 2020. He remains a good friend of SMU and, as Chairman of the Singapore Business Federation, will be an invaluable ally as SMU looks to build even stronger relationships with industry.

SMU has greatly benefited from the selfless and significant contributions to the University by all three distinguished individuals and looks forward to continuing close relationships with them.