PROFESSOR TOMMY KOH
PATRON
MR ALBERT CHIU
HONORARY CHAIRMAN
DR EDMUND LAM
CHAIRMAN
Dr Edmund Lam is the Chief Executive Officer & Director of the Composers and Authors Society of Singapore Limited (COMPASS), which has been lending its financial support to JASS since the association's inception. COMPASS is a leading collective management organisation (CMO) in Asia, having recorded consecutive annual growth since 1993. It is also one of the most efficient CMOs in terms of the expense-to-royalty-collection ratio.
Dr Lam himself brings a wealth of experience and expertise gained from heading an organisation of musicians and safeguarding their rights. He was also the Regional Chairman of the Asia Pacific branch of the International Confederation of Societies of Authors and Composers (CISAC) from 1999 to 2010. CISAC represents more than 200 members from 103 different countries. During Dr Lam’s leadership tenure, composers’ and authors’ rights, and collective management became more established in Asia, with many of them enjoying continuing growth in revenue and significant improvements in their documentation.
Dr Lam is a strong supporter of Singapore’s local music and artistes. In his spare time, he is also a sports enthusiast who participates in marathons and triathlons, and regularly practises boxing and Muay Thai.
Dr Lam took over the Chairman position from Mr Albert Chiu in April 2019. Previously, he was our Vice-Chairman and Treasurer. Dr Lam currently heads the Human Resource Committee as well as the Nomination Committee at JASS.
MS SUSAN LEONG LAI ONN
VICE-CHAIRMAN
Ms Susan Leong is the Chief Executive Officer of Adsan Law LLC (formerly Yeo-Leong & Peh LLC) and has been practising law for over 30 years. She co-heads the Asset Recovery & Insolvency practice group and oversees the systems and processes for loan recovery of local and foreign financial institutions.
Ms Leong has experience in both commercial and civil litigation. She is mainly responsible for managing and organising the systems and processes for loan recovery of local and foreign banks and financial institutions. She advises major financial institutions on all aspects of banking litigation and insolvency. Ms Leong also advises financial institutions on various issues involving fraud, compliance, risk management, bank documentation and product development. She has also spoken widely on banking topics and conducted seminars for financial institutions.
In addition, Ms Leong oversees the Private Clients Practice Group. She has experience in matrimonial disputes, estate and trust planning and advises clients on all aspects of family law.
Apart from the practice of law, Ms Leong enjoys music. She was offered a place to study at the prestigious Royal College of Music, London which she had to give up for academia. Ms Leong is a Licentiate of the Royal Schools of Music and a Fellow of the Trinity College of Music (London) in Piano Performing. She has won many piano competitions in Singapore including the First Prize (Open Section, Pianoforte division) in the First National Music Competition in 1980 and was the winner of the Philips Award (First Prize, Open Section) of the Singapore Musical Society’s Annual Piano Competition.
Ms Leong serves as the Vice Chairman and one of the founding directors of Jazz Association (Singapore). She also serves as Director at the Singapore Chinese Orchestra (SCO), as well as the Kwong Wai Shiu Hospital. She is also a mentor at the Young Women’s Leadership Connection which is a platform for young women seeking guidance in their professional careers and personal lives. Ms Leong believes in giving back to the community that helped build her up, and in creating a lasting legacy for future generations.
Ms Leong assumed the Vice-Chairman position in April 2019 and also currently chairs the Gala and Fundraising Committee, as well as the JASS Support Fund Committee at JASS. Her combined knowledge of music as well as her legal and corporate experience help to ensure balance in the organisation and guide JASS in its corporate governance and stability.
Mr Sean Wu is a Senior Vice President at Straco Corporation Limited, a mainboard-listed entity that develops and operates tourism attractions such as public aquariums and giant Ferris wheels in Singapore and China. Prior to joining Straco, he had served as a Senior Officer at the Singapore Economic Development Board (EDB), focusing on investment promotion and incentives management in the education sector.
Sean was first bitten by the jazz bug as a member of the brass band in school, and was among the many youths who got their initiation into jazz through Maestro Jeremy Monteiro's jazz talks held at countless schools in the 90s. An avid guitarist, he maintains a practice routine and aims to improvise confidently and play through the changes in time to come.
Before transitioning to his current role on the JASS Board, Sean has been involved with JASS for several years through the JASS Gala Organising Committee. He has been inspired by the great work done to sustain and elevate Singapore's jazz scene, and hopes to play a part to support both established and emerging jazz artists, and to increase local appreciation of this amazing art form.
MR SEAN WU
TREASURER
PROF JEREMY MONTEIRO
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR & MUSIC DIRECTOR
Dubbed “Singapore’s King of Swing,” Jeremy Monteiro has garnered critical acclaim all over the world since helping to put Singapore in the world history of jazz in 1988, when he became the first Southeast Asian to lead a band of established international jazz musicians on the main stage of the Montreux Jazz Festival, performing as “Monteiro, Young & Holt and Friends.”
He started his career in 1976 at a local hotel and then as as a pianist & bandleader at the famed Club 392 jazz club in Singapore in 1977 where many artists such as Nancy Wilson have performed. 2023 marks the 47th year of his career.
From 1977, into the 1990s Jeremy recorded as a session pianist with EMI records in Singapore and later with PolyGram records and played on more than 300 pop albums with Asian stars such as Frances Yip, Tracy Huang, Teresa Teng, George Lam, Anita Mui and others.
Jeremy has performed and/ or recorded with the likes of James Moody, Benny Golson, Michael Brecker, Bobby McFerrin, Randy Brecker, Lee Ritenour, Herbie Mann, Paulinho DaCosta, Ernie Watts, Charlie Haden, Terumasa Hino, Carmen Bradford, Matt Monro, Toots Thielemans and Simon & Garfunkel, to name a few. He has also played on the main stages of the EFG London Jazz Festival and is the only Southeast Asian jazz musician to have had an album released on the iconic Verve record label, “Jeremy Monteiro & Alberto Marsico – Jazz-Blues Brothers.”
Jeremy has released a total of 47 albums since 1986, including “Brazilian Dreams,” “Montage”, “With A Little Help from My Friends”, and “Yesterday Once More – A Jazz Tribute to The Carpenters,” with an album launch concert in September 2018. In September 2019, he released “Jeremy Monteiro and Friends: Overjoyed – A Jazz Tribute to the Music of Stevie Wonder”.
His 2021 album, “Live at No Black Tie - Kuala Lumpur” with bassist Jay Anderson and drummer Lewis Nash is his 45th jazz album as leader. The album has reached the Top 20 of the Jazzweek Charts, the most respected jazz charts in the United States. His album Jeremy Monteiro & Alberto Marsico - Jazz-Blues Brothers reached number 12 in the Jazzweek Charts in the US in 2022.
His current album “Jeremy Monteiro - Sings” released in June of 2023 went to the top of the iTunes jazz charts in Singapore in June 2023 and was also briefly on the top of the All Genres charts. He released his first Classical single in June 2023 as well, “Overture no 2 in C - Through the Golden Door” in June 2023 which also went to the top of the iTunes Singapore Classical charts making him the only Singaporean to be on the Jazz, All Genres (Pop) and Classical music charts in the same year.
He has also played on more than 300 pop albums in the Asian region and receive the Silver Medal for Best Music Score in 1991 at the International Radio Festival of New York for his Classical-Folk Piece Overture in C Major - the Story of Singapore.
Jeremy is also a writer, with a volume of essays titled “Jeremy Monteiro: Late-Night Thoughts of a Jazz Musician” published by Marshall-Cavendish in September 2018. The book received two literary awards from the Golden Door Awards in 2020, a 3rd Prize in the main category and a Bronze Medal in the Rex Karmaveer category for integrity in writing.
Jeremy has been supported as an international touring and recording artist by EFG Bank since 2008. Since 2012, he has served as the International Arts Ambassador for EFG Bank, headquartered in Switzerland and sponsor of one of the most prominent jazz festivals in the world, the EFG London Jazz Festival.
In addition, he is a Fellow of the London College of Music and the Royal Society for the Encouragement of Arts, Manufactures and Commerce (RSA) in the UK, and Visiting Professor of the University of West London.
Jeremy received the pinnacle award in the arts in Singapore in 2002, the Cultural Medallion.
He is also a the Chairman and co- founder of the Composers & Authors Society of Singapore Limited (COMPASS), an organisation responsible for the protection of music copyrights in Singapore affiliated to organisations likeASCAP or BMI in the US or PRS in the UK and other societies within the global body, CISAC.
In 2016, together with a few jazz supporter friends, he established the Jazz Association (Singapore) (JASS), to bring jazz to people in all parts of Singapore, help raise its level of excellence especially in the area of youth development and work towards making Singapore a leading jazz city of the world. JASS is an Institute of a Public Character (IPC) and a has been named a Major Grant Arts company by the National Arts Council.
Two notable previous appointments Jeremy has held include serving two terms as a Council Member of the Singapore government statutory board the National Arts Council from 2006-2010, and the Chairman of the Music Industry Task Force and Creative Services Working Committee of the Economic Board in the early 1990s. He also served on the Manpower, Skills Training Council (Arts & Creative Services) of the Workforce Development Agency in Singapore.
He received his latest National Honour, the Public Service Medal (Pingat Bakti Masyarakat or PBM) from the President of Singapore at the National Day Honours in 2021.
Jeremy has had three albums in three years appear on the Top 50 of the USA National Jazzweek Charts,
Today, Jeremy continues to bring jazz to all corners of Singapore, and Singapore jazz to countries all around the world with his musician friends and with the JASS orchestras.
MS KAREN LI-MEI CHAN
DIRECTOR
Ms Karen Li-Mei Chan is a Managing Director and Head of Operations, System and Controls overseeing the Risk Management, Operational Business Processes and internal audit of the Mapletree Group.
Before joining Mapletree, she was the Asia Pacific Regional Chief Risk Officer at DWS (formerly known as Deutsche Asset Management) in Singapore. Ms Chan joined DWS in Singapore in 2014 as the Chief Operating Officer (COO) for the Alternatives and Fund Solutions team and was subsequently appointed to be the Regional Control Officer for Asia. She played a leading role in the DWS IPO in 2018 and was a member of the APAC Executive Management team and Operating Committee. Following DWS's IPO, Ms Chan established the regional control office overseeing business processes and controls and pioneered the setup of the APAC Chief Control Office (CCO) covering Legal, Compliance and Risk Management.
Having spent over twenty years in London, Ms Chan relocated from London to Singapore with Goldman Sachs in 2011 to lead the Asset Management APAC Sales & Distribution Compliance team. Prior to that, she held a number of leadership roles in Goldman Sachs as the Chief Supervisory Officer for Private Wealth Management in London, and Executive Director in Goldman Sachs Asset Management Sales and Distribution Compliance team in London covering the EMEA region. Before her tenure with Goldman Sachs, she headed the Compliance and Anti-money laundering teams at EFG Private Bank in London.
Ms Chan holds a Master's in Business Administration (MBA) from Henley Business School, specialising in Private Equity and ESG investing, and a LLB (Hons) Law degree from the School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS), University of London.
In addition to her support for music and the arts, Ms Chan serves on the board of the Jane Goodall Institute in Singapore (JGIS). She believes in the powerful effects of music and nature on mental and physical well-being. As a devoted mother, Ms Chan actively advocates and supports a number of charities that seek to raise awareness on pivotal issues such as mental health, gender equality and environmental sustainability. She previously headed Deutsche Bank Singapore's Women's Network which mentored female talent and supported charities that equip women in low-income families and shelters with skills and knowledge to enhance their employability and financial security. She is passionate about bringing corporate and public communities together to strengthen understanding and compassion for future generations.
Ms Chan currently heads the Audit Committee at JASS.
MRS SANDRA CHANG
DIRECTOR
Mrs Sandra Chang is a Director of Raffles Yacht Group where she has been involved in multiple, high-level, superyacht projects as advisor and consultant to the interior designers since the Group’s establishment. Upon her graduation from London University in Business Studies, she honed a shrewd business acumen over the years working in the family offshore industry. Alongside her husband, Julian, they were instrumental in pioneering many internationally renowned projects in this field.
To date, her acute sense of style and detail, combined with years of experience in yachting and its inimitable lifestyle makes her the perfect soundboard for yacht owners and designers alike. The mega-yachts she has built have won prestigious awards around the world at the Monaco Yacht Show, Fort Lauderdale Show and at the Asia Boating Awards. Raffles Yacht Group also advises yacht owners on acquiring art work and other decorative items suitable for installation on board. She travels extensively sourcing for these bespoke, special pieces that enchant her clients.
Mrs Chang also serves as Vice-President & Ambassador for The International Seakeepers Society, Asia. She co-chairs fundraising activities for the Asian arm of The International Seakeepers Society, USA, in Singapore. The primary aim is to promote active engagement from the private sector- “marine oriented communities” across the world via the yachting community, and spreading awareness about marine research locally, and in Asia.
The in-house educational outreach programme for schools in Asia, through its own specially-designed lesson plan, creates awareness of conservation of our ocean environment and at the same time, focuses strongly on the eradication of one-time plastic usage with proposed alternatives and change of habits. The main focus is to expand marine conservation activities, coastal cleanups and coral reef preservation efforts to the rest of the ASEAN countries, with the aim of: Research, Educate, Protect & Restore.
Being an avid jazz lover, Mrs Chang is delighted to be a Board Director of the Jazz Association (Singapore). She aims and will endeavour to contribute to the association’s cause of elevating the jazz scene, bringing the joy of jazz to all in Singapore and making Singapore a leading city of jazz. An experienced yoga practitioner, she greatly appreciates classical Western opera, yachting, is an avid reader, and a very keen traveller.
MS SALLY LIEW
DIRECTOR
As the Executive Director of F&B juggernaut Neo Group, Ms Liew leads the Food Catering segment, which includes household names such as Neo Garden and Orange Clove.
Backed by more than 25 years of experience, she is pivotal to the growth and development of the company. Besides advising and spearheading new concepts, Ms Liew oversees core functions such as Human Resource and Information Technology.
A strong advocate for giving back to the community, Ms Liew is also actively involved in the Group’s corporate social responsibility initiatives and is at the forefront of nurturing the culture of giving within the organisation.
Ms Liew's ability to take on challenges has seen her as a role model to many. She often dedicates time to grooming and guiding young talents, providing pertinent advice drawn from her wealth of experience.
Her bustling lifestyle has led her to discover peace through music. An avid appreciator of classical and jazz music, Ms Liew looks forward to contributing further as a Director of the JASS Board and hopes to promote interest in these genres locally.
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MR CHRISTOPHER CHUAH
DIRECTOR
Mr Christopher Chuah is the Managing Director of Christopher Chuah Law Chambers LLC. Prior to
setting up Christopher Chuah Law Chambers LLC, he was Head of the Building & Construction
department in two major law firms. Christopher has been in legal practice since 1992. Apart from his legal career, Christopher also serves on the boards of other social and charitable organisations.
He is currently President of Cuesports Singapore, a National Sports Association, President of One
Hope Centre, an Institution of Public Character and President of Chartered Institute of Building,
Singapore. He was also previously a board member of the new National Kidney Foundation.
In his spare time, Christopher is an avid jazz fan and been actively supporting jazz and other genres through live-streaming particularly during the Covid period.
Christopher was accorded the Distinguished Patron of the Arts Award in 2022 and 2023. Mr Chuah looks forward to contributing further as a Director of the JASS Board.