Biography

After a 36-year career in the Singapore Administrative Service, Mr Tan Boon Huat (陈文发) joined SAS Institute Singapore as Senior Advisor. He is also a Corporate Advisor to Temasek Holdings.

After completing pre-university education in Singapore at Raffles Institution, he graduated from the University of British Columbia with a Bachelor of Forestry (Class 1 Honours standing) in 1974, under a Colombo Plan Scholarship.  Mr Tan obtained a Master of Science (With Distinction) in Management Science from the Imperial College of the University of London in 1980, under an Administrative Service Mid-Career Scholarship, funded by the Bank of Tokyo, Singapore.  He attended the 150th Harvard Advanced Management Programme in the spring of 1996, also under government auspices.

Upon his return to Singapore in 1974, Mr Tan joined the Singapore Administrative Service and was posted to the Ministry of Labour.  After a year, he was re-assigned to the Public Service Commission (PSC).  Two years later, he was seconded to the PA, where he served another two years, rising to Director Administration. He proceeded on a post-graduate scholarship to London, in 1979.  Mr Tan returned to the PSC in 1980.

In 1983, he was posted as Director (Personnel Development) to the newly constituted Public Service Division, where he later became Deputy Secretary.  During this period Mr Tan led the fundamental change of the Civil Service system of staff appraisal, introducing and implementing the Shell System (HAIR qualities, and Current Estimated Potential) in the Civil Service.  He was also deeply involved in transforming the Civil Service remuneration system, to benchmark it to the market.

Between 1996 and 2002, Mr Tan served as Deputy Secretary in the Home Affairs Ministry.  He helped institutionalise the Home Team Concept among the various uniformed and civilian services in the Ministry.  He also transformed the Ministry-backed S-League Home United Football Club from cellar-dweller to League and Singapore Cup champions.

In late 2002, Mr Tan was seconded to the People’s Association as its Chief Executive Director, where he introduced business analytics to improve customer service and widen community outreach, and modernised its operations.

Mr Tan has served as Returning Officer in the previous 3 General Elections and 2 Presidential Elections.