The Heart
Meet the team behind it:
Bianca Cheo & Fiona Leung
Bianca Cheo is Deputy CEO and Executive Director of Mewah International Inc (SGX), where she has led the growth of the consumer pack division since 2004, increasing brand presence, expanding new product lines (such as rice, dairy, cashew and cocoa) and global expansion into Africa, Europe and South America.
She also oversaw Mewah’s public listing. A former lawyer with Allen and Gledhill and Norton Rose, she holds a law degree from King’s College London and is admitted to the Singapore Bar. Bianca has served on multiple corporate and non-profit boards and is an active contributor to healthcare and the arts. She was an executive producer and creator of The LKY Musical which premiered in 2015 to a sold-out audience leading to another-sold out run in 2022.
Fiona Leung is the managing partner of Olive Vista Capital and founding partner of Aquila Investment Partners. She spent over a decade in China, leading Sino-Singapore infrastructure projects with SembCorp, before returning to Singapore to serving at the Singapore’s Economic Development board (EDB) and later as the Acting CEO of Business China.
Passionate about community service, she holds leadership roles with the EDB Society. Fiona sits on the boards of the, Singapore Children’s Society and, VIVA Foundation for Children with Cancer. She serves in EDB Society as the Deputy Honorary Secretary and is a member of the National University of Singapore Medical School’s International Council. A Massachusetts Institute of Technology and University of Illinois alumna, she has been a CFA charter holder since 2005.
Woon Tai Ho
Woon Tai Ho was the inaugural winner of the Dr Alan HJ Chan Spirit of Singapore Book Prize for Soul of Ink, Lim Tze Peng at 100 in April 2024. His other books, namely Art of Joy, The Journey of Yip Yew Chong and George Yeo Musings were finalists in the Singapore Book Awards in 2022 and 2023. In the media, he is best known for leading a team to start the Asia-wide news channel, Channel NewsAsia.
In the course of more than two decades, he launched news and entertainment channels across Asia, including MiTV and Channel K in Myanmar. In July 2024, he was inducted into the Singapore Media Industry Hall of Fame for making lasting contributions to the media industry over the years.
Why write this Book?
Singapore’s story has inspired leaders, thinkers, and dreamers across the world. Often, they ask: What is Singapore’s secret sauce? But how do you explain decades of sacrifice, courage, and nation-building in a single conversation?
That tension between deep pride and the struggle to express it, was the spark for this book. (Re)Defining Singapore is not a textbook or grand thesis. It is a bridge: between generations, between headlines and heartlines, between the past that shaped us and the future that calls us.
We wanted to tell Singapore’s story in a way that feels real and relatable, especially for a new generation growing up in a very different time. In a world of fast scrolls and short attention spans, this book reimagines how we engage with history and identity, not through policy papers, but through deeply personal, powerful essays.
This is a love letter to Singapore. A tribute to those who built it. And a call to all who will inherit it.
Why these 26 Icons?
To (re)define a nation, we turned to those who have helped shape it, in ways big and small, seen and unseen.
The 26 icons in this book are not chosen for their fame alone. Some are household names; others have quietly moved the needle in boardrooms, classrooms, kitchens, courtrooms, theatres, and town halls. What unites them is not their titles, but their conviction, contribution, and courage.
They represent the mosaic of Singapore, across industries, generations, beliefs, and backgrounds. Olympians and diplomats. Artists and educators. Policymakers and pioneers. Together, their stories offer not just insight into what Singapore is, but who we are becoming.
Each voice in this collection adds to a larger chorus. Together, they invite us to reflect, dream, and take ownership of our future.
Our Book Launch
It was a night to remember: full of heart, reflection, and bold hope for Singapore’s next chapter.
Held at the National Gallery and graced by President Tharman, the evening brought together key contributors and cultural icons featured in the book. Stories were shared, conversations sparked, and moments captured, reminding us that a nation is not just built by policy, but by people.
