SINGAPORE, March 23 — Teo Eng Cheong, the former chief executive officer (international) of infrastructure consultancy Surbana Jurong, has been appointed as the head of Sino-Singapore Tianjin Eco-City and Investment Development Co (SSTEC), the master developer behind the bilateral project between Singapore and China.

He will be taking over from outgoing chief Tay Lim Heng from June 1, Singapore conglomerate Keppel Corporation said in a statement yesterday. Keppel leads the Singapore consortium in SSTEC, which is a 50:50 venture between the two countries.

Tianjin Eco-City, about 150km south-east of Beijing, aims to be a showcase of environmentally sustainable living. The two countries agreed to jointly develop the city in November 2007.

In addition to his role as chief executive officer, Teo will act as the adviser on eco-city matters to the Ministry of National Development (MND).

He has been the director of the corporate office at Keppel Corporation since the start of this year. Keppel Corporation has four core businesses, namely offshore and marine, property, infrastructure and investments.

The latest news comes after Teo announced last September that he would be stepping down from his role at Surbana Jurong to “pursue other interests”.

Before his post at Surbana Jurong, which is owned by state investment firm Temasek Holdings, Teo held various leadership positions in various government agencies. He was also a senior government official in the Singapore Administrative Service.

Loh Chin Hua, Keppel Corporation’s chief executive officer, said: “Eng Cheong has a wealth of experience from the Singapore Government and private sector, including deep knowledge of the Chinese market.

“I am confident that he would provide effective leadership to the SSTEC in the next phase of the eco-city’s development.” — TODAY