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Dr Cheong Choong Kong is the Malaysian born ex-CEO of Singapore Airlines. His most prominent moment at the airline was upon the collision of SQ006 during take-off where he appaeared to be the public face of Asia's number one airline. Singapore Airlines Flight SQ006 was a flight that flew from Singapore Changi Airport, Singapore to Chiang Kai Shek International Airport, and from Taipei, Taiwan to Los Angeles International Airport, Los Angeles, California. ...
Academic Dr Cheong obtained a Bachelor of Science with First Class Honours in Mathematics from the University of Adelaide in 1964. He studied in Australia as a Colombo Plan scholar.
He also received a Master of Science (1966) and a Ph.D. (1968) in Mathematics from the Australian National University. His main fields of study were random processes and related areas of applied and theoretical probability.
Career He began his career as a mathematics lecturer in the University of Malaya (1968), eventually achieving the rank of associate professor and holding the office of the head of the mathematics department.
He then left this position in 1974 to work with Singapore Airlines. Many explanations for this move have been published ranging from a response to a newspaper ad to other reasons. An often told explanation states that Dr. Cheong was called in to explain why so many of his students were failing. He was then told that the problem lay in his teaching rather than his students. Upon hearing this he resigned.
He spent 29 years at Singapore Airlines culminating with him holding the position of Deputy Chairman and Chief Executive Officer. Previously the office of CEO was titled Managing Director.
In conferring Asia's Businessman of the Year upon Dr Cheong in 1998, the Fortune article noted the ability of SIA in having an "unbroken 27-year record of profitability through turbulent economic times". It is generally true that government owned airlines are not profitable.
He was first appointed to the board of OCBC on 1 July 1999. He served as Vice Chairman from 26 March 2002 to 30 June 2003. On 1st July 2003, he was elected as chairman of the board.
Positions held - He served as Chairman of the Singapore Broadcasting Corporation and of its successor, Singapore International Media from July 1989 to September 1995.
- Fortune magazine - “Asia’s Businessman of the Year” in 1998
- He has served before as the Chairman of the Council of the National University of Singapore. His service was for two consecutive two-year terms ending on July 31 2004.
- He has served as Vice-Chairman of the Singapore-US Business Council
- Dr Cheong has held directorships in companies which include Singapore Press Holdings Ltd, Great Eastern Holdings Ltd and United Eagle Airlines Co Ltd.
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