13 April 2022 – The DesignSingapore Council (Dsg) today announced the appointment of a new Executive Director. Ms Dawn Lim comes on board as Executive Director (Designate) on 1 May 2022 and will take over the role of Executive Director on 1 June 2022. Mr Mark Wee who led Dsg from 2018 will be stepping down to assume the role of Advisor.
Ms Lim brings with her close to 17 years of experience in working across private and public sector partners to develop, structure and deliver major strategic initiatives in Singapore. Ms Lim currently helms the Commercial and Professional Services team at the EDB. In this role, she engages the world’s leading organisations in the consulting, accounting, marketing and advertising, as well as engineering services and logistics sectors and supports these firms as they invest in and grow from Singapore. In her prior role, Ms Lim headed EDB’s Europe team to work with leading European companies across a wide range of industries, and established EDB’s office in Switzerland. She also spent several years at PSA International Pte Ltd serving in key roles.
“I am very excited to join the DesignSingapore family and build on the good work by Mark and the team to make Singapore a loveable city by design. Design is a key engine of our innovation-driven economy and I look forward to working with all our partners to make Singapore better by design and to continue elevating the Singapore design brand on the world stage,” Ms Lim said.
Mr Peter Cho, Managing Director & Partner, BCG Digital Ventures, said: “Every organisation needs a leader that is strategic and bold, with the ability to steer teams towards achieving common goals and objectives. Having collaborated with her in various capacities, I can say that Dawn is that leader and more. As a design thinker herself with a strong commercial background, I believe she will offer fresh perspectives and insights to further elevate the Singapore design scene.”
Mr Kaushik Das, Senior Partner and Managing Partner of Southeast Asia, McKinsey and Company, said: “I have had the privilege of collaborating with Dawn through McKinsey’s long-standing partnership with EDB. Her experience in the private and public sector will enhance DesignSingapore Council’s mission.”
Mr Mark Wee joined the Council on 1 March 2018 and steered the Council through challenging times, spending more than half of his tenure ensuring that not just the organisation, but the local design sector at large, was able to emerge from the COVID-19 pandemic more resilient. Under his leadership, he brought design closer to both small and medium sized enterprises and multinational corporations through the Design for Business initiatives and the Business Value of Design programme – this was especially timely as Singapore businesses had to brace themselves for rapid change and transformation. He also launched the Good Design Research initiative to empower local designers and design enterprises to find their unique value proposition in designing for impact through research and experimentation. As a strong proponent of design education and design thinking, he oversaw the formation of the Design Education Advisory Committee (DEAC) to nurture the next generation of design talents; and School of X to equip non-design professionals and citizens with collaborative design skills and design-led creative thinking to solve real-world social and business challenges.
“Singapore has made great strides towards becoming an innovation-driven economy and a loveable city by design. Design is increasingly embraced by business, education and government; while our designers are a rising force in the design world by stepping up to tackle society’s biggest questions with bold new initiatives. I am honoured to have been part of this transformation and am excited to continue supporting the great work that DesignSingapore Council is doing to champion good design and designers, elevating the Singapore design brand not just locally but internationally too,” Mr Wee said.
Professor Tai Lee Siang, Head of Pillar, Architecture and Sustainable Design, Singapore University of Technology and Design, said: “An outstanding architect and visionary design leader in his own right, Mark broke new ground for DesignSingapore Council and helped the organisation and the design sector navigate through unforeseen challenges the last few years. Under his leadership, the Council launched several key initiatives that will continue to create lasting impact. Mark has also been instrumental in connecting design to business, design to community, and even Singapore design to the world. I am confident that he will accomplish even greater things in the years to come.”
Dr Beh Swan Gin, Chairman of the EDB said “Dawn’s experience in working across private and public sector partners on important projects and major initiatives will be an asset to DesignSingapore Council (Dsg). She is well positioned to build on the solid foundation that Mark has put in place over the past four years. This will accelerate Dsg’s efforts to develop Singapore as a global and Asian hub for design, driving innovation and growth. I thank Mark for his dedication and leadership, especially his efforts in ensuring that the local design sector is able to emerge resilient from the COVID-19 pandemic.”
About the DesignSingapore Council (Dsg)
DesignSingapore Council’s (Dsg) vision is for Singapore to be an innovation-driven economy and a loveable city through design by 2025. As the national agency that promotes design, our mission is to develop the design sector, help Singapore use design for innovation and growth, and make life better in this UNESCO Creative City of Design. The Dsg is a subsidiary of the Singapore Economic Development Board.
For more information, please visit designsingapore.org.
About the Singapore Economic Development Board (EDB)
The Singapore Economic Development Board (EDB), a government agency under the Ministry of Trade and Industry, is responsible for strategies that enhance Singapore’s position as a global centre for business, innovation, and talent. We undertake investment
promotion and industry development, and work with international businesses, both foreign and local, by providing information, connection to partners and access to government incentives for their investments. Our mission is to create sustainable economic growth, with vibrant business and good job opportunities for Singapore and Singaporeans.
For more information on EDB, please visit www.edb.gov.sg.
