Singapore, 28 November 2023 – SingHealth today announced a key leadership change at the National Cancer Centre Singapore (NCCS). Professor William Hwang, Chief Executive Officer (CEO), NCCS, will pass the leadership baton to Professor Lim Soon Thye on 1 December 2023.

During his six-year tenure, Prof Hwang was pivotal in leading the planning and delivery of a comprehensive suite of infrastructure, service and operations projects, as well as spearheading new patient care and research initiatives to improve oncology care and clinical outcomes for cancer patients. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Prof Hwang galvanised NCCS to deliver timely cancer care while ensuring that patients and staff were kept safe and well-supported. He oversaw the planning and development of the new NCCS building and steered the Centre’s successful move to its new home in late 2022. The new 24-storey NCCS has increased clinic space for multidisciplinary cancer care with improved patient flow and experience, and offers patients access to advanced oncology treatment such as proton therapy at the Goh Cheng Liang Proton Therapy Centre.

A champion of collaborations to improve cancer prevention, treatment and research, he played a critical role in bringing key partners such as Singapore Cancer Society and the Advanced Cell Therapy and Research Institute (ACTRIS) to be housed in the new NCCS building, to enhance community care referrals and deepen research partnerships. On 1 December, Prof Hwang will be appointed Senior Advisor, SingHealth, to the SingHealth Board of Advisors; and will continue as Co-Director of the Regenerative Medicine Institute of Singapore (REMEDIS), and Senior Consultant, Department of Haematology, NCCS and the Singapore General Hospital.

“We would like to express our deepest gratitude and appreciation to William for his committed leadership and outstanding contributions to NCCS. Under his leadership, NCCS has grown from strength to strength as a global front-runner in integrated cancer care and research that provides cancer patients with care, healing and hope. In the past few years, William also led NCCS through a challenging time during the COVID-19 pandemic, where the Centre upheld its commitment to providing critical cancer care even during the most trying of circumstances. We look forward to William’s continued contributions to the field and to witness the impact of his good work,” said Professor Ivy Ng, Group CEO, SingHealth.

Professor Lim Soon Thye, who currently serves as Deputy CEO (Clinical), NCCS, is an esteemed clinician leader responsible for overseeing clinical strategy, and professional and clinical quality at NCCS. To enhance patient-centred care, Prof Lim developed new models of care and established new clinical services, such as geriatric oncology, cancer genetics and molecular tumour boards. He also spearheaded the development of integrated cancer service lines across SingHealth, bringing together all cancer service providers across SingHealth’s institutions to ensure a seamless delivery of care. He was instrumental in supporting CEO, NCCS, in planning and facilitating the move to the new NCCS building and ensuring the smooth transition of clinical services. Prof Lim holds many clinical and research leadership roles and is an internationally renowned key opinion leader with an exemplary clinical and research track record in the field of lymphoma. He is the recipient of the Tanoto Foundation Professorship in Medical Oncology, a national clinician scientist, and is involved in multiple wide-ranging collaborations with local and international institutions that have led to many successful research and academic endeavours.

In his new roles as CEO of NCCS, Prof Lim will build on the strong foundations laid and further advance clinical and academic excellence in oncology. Prof Lim’s new appointment will run concurrently with his role as Deputy Group CEO (Research & Education), SingHealth.