Teo Ming Kian

Teo Ming Kian is a Singaporean who graduated from Monash University in 1975 with a Bachelor of Engineering (First Class Honours) degree in Mechanical Engineering, and Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 1986 with a Master of Science in Management. He was the recipient of a Monash Distinguished Alumni Award in 2000 and is a Fellow of the Singapore Academy of Engineering.

For his career up until 2011, Teo served in the Singapore Government in various appointments including as Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Defence, Ministry of Communications, Ministry of Finance and in the Prime Minister's Office for National Research and Development. He also served as Executive Chairman of the National Science and Technology Board and the Economic Development Board. During his tenure at the Economic Development Board from 2001 to 2006, Teo spearheaded new areas of economic growth such as interactive and digital media, environmental and water technologies, alternative energy and education.

Teo Ming Kian has been the Chairman of Vertex Venture Holdings Ltd since May 2012. During his tenure, Vertex Holdings' AUM increased from $200 million in 2012 to around $7 billion, and the firm expanded to 7 network partnerships across China, Israel, Japan, Southeast Asia, India, the United States and healthcare innovation. Teo is concurrently Chairman of Singapore Technologies Engineering Ltd and sits on the boards of Temasek Foundation Ltd, TF IPC Ltd and Temasek Trust Ltd. He was conferred the Singapore Public Administration Medal (Gold) in 1993, the Commander First Class—Royal Order of the Polar Star (Sweden) in 1994, the Meritorious Service Medal in 2008 and the Defence Technology Medal (Distinguished Leadership) in 2015.

Career History

• Chairman, Vertex Venture Holdings Ltd (May 2012–2026)
• Chairman, Temasek Life Sciences Laboratory Ltd
• Executive Chairman, Singapore Economic Development Board (2006)
• Executive Chairman, National Science and Technology Board
• Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Defence, Ministry of Communications, and Ministry of Finance

What Teo Ming Kian could bring to his retirement from Vertex Holdings: His 14-year stewardship of Vertex represented a transformative period for Singapore's venture capital ecosystem, during which he scaled the firm from $200 million to a $7 billion powerhouse with global reach. His combination of engineering expertise, decades of government experience in economic development policy, and deep knowledge of Singapore's innovation infrastructure positioned him uniquely to build institutional credibility and attract anchor investors. His strategic focus on international diversification across key innovation hubs (China, Israel, US, Southeast Asia) and emerging sectors (healthcare, life sciences, cleantech) demonstrated sophisticated sector selection. As he retires, his legacy reflects mastery of bridging public sector strategic vision with private market execution.