On September 28, 2026, the National Gallery of Singapore (NGS) and Singapore Art Museum (SAM) announced that Chng Hak-Peng will become chief executive officer of NGS on January 1, 2027, succeeding Dr Eugene Tan. Tan will conclude his NGS responsibilities at the end of the year to focus on his role as SAM’s chief executive officer and director.
Leadership transition and institutional alignment
Tan has led NGS as director since 2013 and took on the directorship of SAM in 2019. In 2024, he was appointed CEO of both institutions. Reflecting on the handover, Tan said he was “grateful to have had the privilege of leading both NGS and SAM,” adding that this is “the right time for each to benefit from dedicated leadership.” A joint statement characterized the move as aligned with “the continued development of both institutions as they enter a new phase of growth,” while affirming that the museums remain “natural partners” that will continue to collaborate in promoting and showcasing art and culture from Singapore and beyond.
NGS chairman Peter Ho endorsed the appointment, citing Chng’s track record: Chng’s “record of transforming the beloved ensembles of the Singapore Symphony Group speaks for itself,” Ho said, expressing that they are “confident the Gallery is in good hands as it continues to grow its voice for Singapore and Southeast Asian art.”
Chng Hak-Peng: experience across culture, education, and the arts
Chng brings more than three decades of involvement in Singapore’s arts and culture sector. From 2014 to 2022, he served first as deputy chair and then as chief executive officer of the Singapore Symphony Group. During that period, the Singapore Symphony Orchestra earned third place in Gramophone magazine’s Orchestra of the Year 2021—standing as the only Asian orchestra among the nominees. Earlier, Chng spent a decade with the management consultancy Bain & Company.
His current appointments include board positions at Library and Archives Solutions, a subsidiary of Singapore’s National Library Board, and at Duke-NUS Medical School. He also chairs the advisory council of Chua Chu Kang Secondary School. Alongside his professional roles, Chng is pursuing a PhD in history at the National University of Singapore and has long volunteered as a docent with local institutions such as the Asian Civilizations Museum.
Looking ahead to the role, Chng described the moment as a chance to extend public engagement with culture, saying the appointment enables “making the arts accessible and meaningful to our communities . . . [and] to strengthen the role that the arts play in our society.”
With this change, NGS and SAM set the stage for their next chapter in 2027, reinforcing complementary leadership while maintaining close ties between the two museums.
