Kon Yin Tong Elected President of the Institute of Singapore Chartered Accountants

- He succeeds Dr Gerard Ee, who had served as President since 2014

Singapore, 23 April, 2018 – Mr Kon Yin Tong has been elected President of the national accountancy body, the Institute of Singapore Chartered Accountants (ISCA). He succeeds Dr Gerard Ee, who stepped down as President with effect from 21 April 2018. Mr Kon is joined by newly elected office bearers:

• Vice President: Ms Yvonne Chan Mei Chuen, Chief Financial Officer and Director (Corporate Development), Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore
• Treasurer: Mr Balasubramaniam Janamanchi, Managing Partner/Director, JBS Practice PAC
• Secretary: Mr Kelvin Tan Wee Peng 

The election followed the conclusion of ISCA’s 2017/2018 Annual General Meeting held on 21 April, which saw seven newly elected Council members and one re-elected Council member joining the Institute’s new leadership team.

On that day, Dr Ee stepped down as ISCA President after having served a maximum of two terms of two years (i.e. four years) in accordance with the Institute’s constitution. This is in line with the Institute’s leadership renewal process to regularly refresh the leadership team, inject new perspectives and involve more members of the profession in bringing the Institute to greater heights. 

Mr Kon is a Fellow Chartered Accountant of Singapore and had served as the Vice-President and Executive Committee member of ISCA since 2016. He was also a member of ISCA’s Nominations Committee from 2016. Mr Kon has been in the public accounting profession for more than 25 years and has personally been hands on in many client engagements, including cross-border assignments. As Managing Partner of Foo Kon Tan LLP, his areas of practice include those in litigation support and dispute resolution, including acting as expert witness and as assessor to the Court. Mr Kon has been a Board member of the Singapore Accountancy Commission since 2013. Mr Kon is also the Deputy Chair of Sport Singapore, president of the ASEAN Federation of Accountants, and audit committee chair of the Energy Market Authority. Previously, he was audit committee chair of the Singapore Totalisator Board and a Board member of the Accounting and Corporate Regulatory Authority from 2006 to 2011. 

New Council Members 

Joining Mr Kon who is re-elected to the Council, are the following newly-elected ISCA Council members:

1. Mr Shariq Barmaky, Audit & Assurance Leader, Singapore and Southeast Asia, Deloitte & Touche LLP
2. Mr Dennis Chia Choon Hwee, Chief Financial Officer, StarHub Ltd
3. Ms Lai Chin Yee, Finance Director, Qian Hu Corporation Limited
4. Mr Marcus Lam Hock Choon, Assurance Leader, PwC Singapore
5. Ms Lelaina Lim Siew Li, Group Chief Financial Officer, Eu Yan Sang International Ltd
6. Mr Henry Tan Song Kok, Managing Director, Nexia TS Public Accounting Corporation
7. Ms Yiong Yim Ming, Chief Financial Officer, City Developments Ltd

 Appreciation to Dr Gerard Ee

Dr Gerard Ee had served as ISCA’s President since April 2014. Under his leadership, the Institute heightened its prominence on the global landscape. In 2017, ISCA signed Reciprocal Membership Agreements (RMAs) with three globally recognised professional Chartered Accountancy bodies, the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales, the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Scotland and Chartered Accountants Ireland. In the same year, ISCA gained full membership to Chartered Accountants Worldwide, a global body of leading Chartered Accountancy bodies around the world. With the RMAs and full membership with Chartered Accountants Worldwide, the professional recognition of Chartered Accountants of Singapore was enhanced, enabling ISCA members to further their careers beyond Singapore’s shores and pursue international professional opportunities. 

Closer to home, Dr Ee, as the Chair of the ASEAN Chartered Professional Accountant Coordinating Committee from September 2015 to September 2017, promoted the acceptance of the ASEAN Chartered Professional Accountant (ASEAN CPA) title across the region. The ASEAN CPA title enables accountants from ASEAN countries to provide non-regulated accountancy services across ASEAN countries without having to go through extensive re-training and re-qualification procedures. As at end-March 2018, 232 ISCA members have been conferred the ASEAN CPA title. 

To help accounting professionals enter high-growth practice areas, ISCA developed specialisation pathways for members to deepen their areas of expertise. For example, in September 2017, Dr Ee announced the launch of the ISCA Financial Forensic Qualification, the first financial forensic accounting qualification offered by a professional body in Southeast Asia. 

Mr Kon, ISCA President, said: “The Institute has achieved much under the guidance of Dr Ee. Under his leadership, ISCA significantly raised its profile regionally and internationally, elevating its stature as a globally recognised professional accountancy body. On behalf of the Institute, I would like to thank Dr Ee for his contributions, and I look forward to working closely with my fellow council members and the ISCA management team in bringing the Institute to greater heights.” 

With disruptive technologies impacting the business landscape, the accountancy profession, like all professions, is being transformed to adapt to the rapid changes. Mr Kon believes the Institute thus plays a key role in preparing its members to be future-ready. 

“The learning journey for accounting professionals never stops. As the national accountancy body, we will continue to equip our members with the necessary skills and knowledge for the future economy. We will also continue our efforts in raising our global prominence and establishing international connections. To that end, ISCA will continue to collaborate with our key stakeholders, both locally and globally, to empower our members to achieve their professional aspirations,” said Mr Kon.

For more information on the biographies of the new and re-elected Council Members, please refer to the Annex.

-End-

For media queries, please contact:

Institute of Singapore Chartered Accountants

Jennifer Toh, Director, Communications, Member Services & Marketing

Tel: 6597 5502 / 9877 6027 / Email: jennifer.toh@isca.org.sg

Betsy Tan, Senior Manager, Communications

Tel: 6597 5608 / 9641 6920 / Email: betsy.tan@isca.org.sg

Shaun Tay, Executive, Communications

Tel: 6597 5613 / 9147 7633 / Email: shaun.tay@isca.org.sg

About the Institute of Singapore Chartered Accountants

The Institute of Singapore Chartered Accountants (ISCA) is the national accountancy body of Singapore. ISCA’s vision is to be a globally recognised professional accountancy body, bringing value to our members, the profession and wider community. There are over 32,000 ISCA members making their stride in businesses across industries in Singapore and around the world.

Established in 1963, ISCA is an advocate of the interests of the profession. Possessing a Global Mindset, with Asian Insights, ISCA leverages its regional expertise, knowledge, and networks with diverse stakeholders to contribute towards Singapore’s transformation into a global accountancy hub.

ISCA is the Administrator of the Singapore CA Qualification and the Designated Entity to confer the Chartered Accountant of Singapore - CA (Singapore) - designation.

ISCA is a member of Chartered Accountants Worldwide (CAW). CAW brings together 12 chartered accountancy bodies connecting and representing the interests of over 1.7 million members and students globally.

For more information, visit www.isca.org.sg.