Chng Hak-Peng to Replace Eugene Tan as National Gallery Singapore CEO

Eugene Tan will step down as CEO of the National Gallery Singapore (NGS) on January 1, 2027, handing the role to Chng Hak-Peng while retaining his post as director of the Singapore Art Museum (SAM).

Tan currently holds a dual role as CEO and director of both NGS and SAM. From the new year, he will focus solely on SAM, where he began as director in 2018. Both institutions confirmed in a joint statement that they will continue to collaborate and share resources as they have in the past.

The handover begins well before the official date. Chng takes the title of "CEO-Designate" on October 1, overlapping with Tan for three months. According to the joint statement, this period will ensure a smooth leadership transition.

Chng arrives from a background in music rather than the visual arts. He studied electrical engineering at Stanford University and spent 15 years with the Singapore Symphony Orchestra (SSO). He started as a volunteer in 2008, advising on strategy and organization, then served as deputy chairman and, from 2015 through 2022, as CEO. He also spent a decade at the management consulting firm Bain & Company.

His record at the orchestra includes measurable gains in international standing. In a farewell letter published when he left the SSO, Chng highlighted the orchestra placing third in Gramophone magazine's orchestra of the year ranking and being listed among the 21 best orchestras in the world by BBC Music magazine in 2022.

Chng has close ties to the museum world beyond management. He has volunteered for years as a docent at two local museums and is studying for a PhD in history at the National Museum of Singapore. He has said he hopes to "strengthen the role that the arts play in our society."

In a statement, Chng set out his ambitions for the gallery. "NGS has established itself as a leading visual arts institution in the region," he said, "uniquely positioned to tell the stories of Singapore and Southeast Asia through art. I hope to build on these strong foundations and continue the path forged by [Tan] and his predecessor, Chong Siak Ching. I look forward to working with everyone at NGS and across the visual arts community to build a Gallery that Singapore continues to love and be proud of."

The appointment splits the leadership of two institutions that have operated under a single chief since Tan took the joint mandate, and it installs a leader whose credentials lie in orchestra management, consulting and engineering rather than curatorial work. How Chng translates that record into the visual arts will shape NGS's direction after January 2027.