Tharman Shanmugaratnam was elected as Singapore’s President in September 2023.

He served in politics for 22 years before resigning to contest in the Presidential Election. He was Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister for several years, and Education Minister earlier. He last served in government as Senior Minister. 

He has been committed through his years to building future economic resilience and a more inclusive social compact. On the latter, he has been especially engaged in sustaining social mobility, lifting pay for lower-income workers, making life-long learning a reality for all, and deepening Singapore’s multiculturalism.

Tharman has led several international councils focused especially on global financial reforms, preparedness for future pandemics, human development, and the changes needed to ensure a sustainable global water cycle.

In Singapore, Tharman also chaired the board of the Monetary Authority of Singapore over the last 12 years. In addition, he chaired the GIC’s Investment Strategies Committee over the same period and served as its Deputy Chairman over the last four years.