Metro names acting CEO for ‘continuity’

SINGAPORE — Following the death of retail giant Metro’s group managing director Jopie Ong Hie Koan (picture), Mr Lawrence Chiang Kok Sung, the company’s current group chief operating officer, was appointed acting group chief executive officer to “ensure continuity of operations of the Metro Group”.

This was announced in a statement on the Singapore Exchange yesterday evening. Metro changed its iconic red-and-white logo type into sombre black and white on the firm’s Facebook page and website. It also requested a trading halt at 8.15am yesterday.

Mr Ong, who was also a member of the company’s Nominating and Investment Committees, died on Tuesday. He was 75. He was the son of the late Ong Tjoe Kim, who founded Metro in 1957 as a textile shop along High Street. The elder Mr Ong had died of natural causes at the age of 98 in 2009.

The younger Mr Ong was appointed to the board in Sept 21, 1973. He led the charge in Metro’s growth and transformation from a retail departmental store business into a property development and investment group, which included the development of Ngee Ann City, in joint venture with Ngee Ann Kongsi. He was also instrumental in pioneering the group’s entry into China in the early 1990s.

“Mr Jopie Ong’s strong leadership made a significant difference to the Metro Group on the charting of its strategic directions and business, and the Metro Group is deeply grateful to Mr Jopie Ong for his invaluable contributions to the Group,” said Metro Holdings’ board of directors in a statement. It also expressed condolences.

Mr Lawrence Chiang has been with the Metro Group since 1989. He had been the group general manager since 2007, before being redesignated as the group chief operating officer in 2013. TOH EE MING