Mediacorp has announced the appointment of Tham Loke Kheng as its CEO and Board Director, effective September 1.

Tham will succeed Shaun Seow, who will remain as Executive Director, Mediacorp till September  30 before joining Temasek.

Tham is an industry veteran with extensive media experience, especially in content and marketing. She has held senior management and leadership roles in terrestrial free-to-air TV, Pay TV and broadband services in leading Asian operators in Singapore, Taiwan and most recently, Hong Kong.

A graduate of National University of Singapore, Tham started work in 1988 at Singapore Broadcasting Corporation, an antecedent of Mediacorp, where she spent eight years.

Since then, she has built a successful career at leading Asian media companies, serving as President of Taiwan Broadband Communications and as Head of NOW TV, the largest Pay TV operator in Hong Kong at different times. In 2015, she was named Content Asia’s Asia Media Woman of the Year, in recognition of her contribution to the development of the Pay TV industry in Asia over the years.

Ernest Wong, Chairman, Mediacorp said that Tham, appointed after an extensive search, was a natural choice to lead Mediacorp as the company focuses its efforts on capturing audiences and advertising revenue in a disrupted media industry.

 He said: “Mediacorp is national broadcaster and commercial media & entertainment company rolled into one. Loke Kheng understands both Mediacorp and the Singapore audience and has gained extensive commercial experience in the region. With a passion for media coupled with well-honed media skills, she is more than ready to lead Mediacorp in meeting the challenges ahead.”

Tham said of her appointment: “Returning to Mediacorp is a truly meaningful homecoming for me. My passion for media was discovered on Caldecott Hill and I am truly excited to be able to lead Mediacorp into its next phase of development, as the company evolves from a free-to-air broadcaster to a diversified, digital-first media organisation.”