Nicholas Nash and Yvonne Tham appointed to YST Governing Board

From 1 November 2022, the Yong Siew Toh Conservatory of Music (YST) welcomes two new members to its Governing Board: Ms Yvonne Tham, Chief Executive Officer, The Esplanade Company Ltd; and Mr Nicholas Nash, Co-Founder and Managing Partner, Asia Partners.

Ms Tham leads The Esplanade Company Ltd, where she is responsible for the overall management and programming direction of Esplanade – Theatres on the Bay, a close partner of YST. Prior to joining Esplanade, she was Deputy Chief Executive Officer at the National Arts Council and Director of the Arts and Heritage Division at the then-Ministry of Information, Communications and the Arts. In her public sector roles, she was involved in developing the Renaissance City plans, as well as the setting up of the School of the Arts Singapore, DesignSingapore Council, and the National Gallery.

Mr Nash is a co-founder of Asia Partners, a growth equity technology investment firm in Southeast Asia. Prior to Asia Partners, he was the Group President of internet company Sea from 2014 to 2018. He has also been a member of the World Economic Forum’s ASEAN Regional Strategy Group (2017-18) and a Term Member of the Council on Foreign Relations (2013-18). He is currently a board member of Shopback and SCI Ecommerce, both based in Singapore. A strong proponent of the arts and culture as well as nurturing young talent, he is also a supporter of The Juilliard School.

Mrs Doris Sohmen-Pao, Chief Executive Officer of the Human Capital Leadership Institute, has stepped down from the Board as of 31 October 2022, after numerous years of service since joining in 2014.

The YST Governing Board provides strategic direction and guidance to the Conservatory, helping it further its objectives in education, music and scholarship as a conservatory of repute within and beyond Singapore.

Ms Chong Siak Ching, Chair of the Board and Chief Executive Officer of the National Gallery, shared, “We are delighted that Nicholas and Yvonne are joining the Board, bringing rich leadership experience in addition to specific expertise in finance and arts administration respectively. As YST celebrates its 20th anniversary next year, we will continue to enrich the Conservatory’s extensive educational, artistic and community offerings within and beyond Singapore. We also extend our heartfelt appreciation to Doris for her guidance and support over the years on the Governing Board.”