M1 chairman Teo Soon Hoe passes away aged 65

The chairman of M1, Teo Soon Hoe, passed away on Sunday, the Singapore telco announced on Monday.

In a Singapore Exchange (SGX) filing, as well as a statement shared with Yahoo Singapore, company secretary Foo Siang Larng said Teo has been part of M1’s board since May 1996, and was appointed as chairman since 2009.

“Mr Teo had been instrumental in the growth and transformation of the company from a pure mobile communications player to a company offering a full-service quad play experience,” Foo said in the telco’s board statement. “His business acumen, foresight and focus on execution excellence enabled the company to scale to greater heights under his strategic guidance.”

The company also said board director Low Huan Ping will serve as interim acting chairman before its next chairman is formally appointed.

Teo gained prominence through his work at Singapore's Keppel Group, holding various positions on its boards over the years before being appointed to M1's board of directors. His last held position with Keppel was of chairman and non-executive board director at Keppel DC Reit Management, which also filed the disclosure on SGX on Monday morning.

Several top Keppel executives paid tribute to his work on Monday, with Keppel Corp chairman Lee Boon Yang saying his efforts were key to Keppel's success and growth.

"His devotion to Keppel is legendary within the company. Those of us who worked closely with (Teo) have the greatest respect for him," he said. "We have lost a good friend, capable colleague and visionary entrepreneur."

Keppel Corp CEO Loh Chin Hua called Teo a "son" who dedicated his life's work to the firm. "For his colleagues, (Teo) has been a rock that we know we can depend on, especially in the face of adversities. We are all deeply saddened by (Teo)'s passing," he added.