Thales has appointed Derek Cheng as its Country Director for Singapore and Chief Executive Officer of Thales Solutions Asia, People Matters reported this week. He takes over from Emily Tan, who is leaving the group to take on a new challenge.
In the role, Cheng will lead Thales’ operations in Singapore, which span more than 2,000 employees across four sites in the Republic, according to the report. An effective date for the handover was not stated.
Aviation and investment background
Cheng joins Thales from Vertical Aerospace, where he served as Vice President and Head of Commercial for Asia Pacific from 2022 to 2026. Before that, he held senior leadership positions at Airbus between 2016 and 2021.
Earlier in his career, he spent seven years at Singapore’s Economic Development Board (EDB). His final posting at the agency was as Regional Director for Europe, based in Frankfurt.
His career therefore spans roughly a decade in the aerospace industry, following a stint in Singapore’s investment promotion agency.
Next phase of growth
In a LinkedIn post cited by People Matters, Cheng said: “I look forward to leading Thales into its next phase of strategic growth.” The report also carried comments on the appointment from Guy Bonassi, Thales’ Senior Vice President for Latin America and Asia.
What’s next
Thales has not publicly detailed Cheng’s priorities for the Singapore business, which he will oversee alongside his role at Thales Solutions Asia. Details on the timing of the transition and on Tan’s next role were not disclosed in the report.
