SINGAPORE – Singapore Exchange (SGX) has begun its search for a new chief executive, as current CEO Loh Boon Chye will step down from his role in 2027.
Loh, who took the helm of SGX Group in 2015, announced his decision at the company’s annual general meeting on Oct 23 held at the Marina Bay Sands Expo and Convention Centre.
He said that the bourse’s strong performance and foundation presented an opportunity to be “equally thoughtful and deliberate about the leadership that will take SGX into its next phase of growth”.
He said he had shared his intention to plan the CEO transition with SGX chairman Koh Boon Hwee before the AGM, and the two executives would work together to find his successor.
Loh, whose contract runs until mid-July 2027, said: “We are doing so from a position of strength – with a clear strategy, strong momentum and a highly capable leadership team.
“This gives us the opportunity to plan thoughtfully and with confidence for the future.
“To me, this is part of building a strong and enduring institution; one that continues to grow, evolve and achieve greater success in the years ahead.”
No date has been set for the transition yet.
He noted that the bourse will have “ample time” to plan the transition and ensure a smooth and seamless handover, with continuity in SGX’s strategy, business and relationships with its stakeholders.
SGX recorded all-time highs in revenue and net profit for the 2026 financial year ended June 30. Revenue rose 13.9% to $1.5 billion, while adjusted net profit reached $759.5 million, up 24.6%.
Loh had described 2026 an “exceptional year” for the stock market, marked by improving participation, liquidity and trading activity.
Retail participation hit a five-year high, with net revenue from cash equities increased 28.1% to $502.9 million, accounting for 34% of total net revenue.
The securities daily average value also increased 34.9% to $1.8 billion, while the total securities traded value increased 35.5% to $455.7 billion.
In his address to around 400 shareholders, Loh also cited SGX’s multi-asset strategy as a key driver of the bourse’s performance and said it will continue to expand its product suite to build the bourse with multiple engines of growth and resilient earnings.
This includes a platform for clearing gold trades, as well as a physically deliverable gold futures contract.
Responding to a shareholder’s question, he added that SGX is looking to implement the tokenisation of securities collateral, which could entail issuing digital tokens to represent ownership of traditional securities such as stocks and government bonds.
“My ambitions for SGX are greater than ever. I want us to accelerate our growth, expand our global reach and take SGX to a new level. That is what I intend to drive forward.
“We have built something strong together, and I genuinely believe our best opportunities are still ahead of us,” said Loh, who joined SGX as CEO in July 2015.
SGX chairman Koh said Loh stepped into the role “in the middle of a crisis” as the bourse had been hit by a number of outages that led to trading halts.
“Being at the top of a company like SGX comes with a tremendous amount of pressure,” Koh added.
He credited Loh with stabilising the situation by strengthening its IT capabilities, which was instrumental in transforming SGX from a cash equities market to a global multi-asset platform.
Citing SGX’s strong financial performance and rising share price, which is up by over 21% since the start of the year, Koh said the company has seen a significant track record under Loh’s leadership and described his decision to step down as a “bittersweet moment”.
Shares of SGX briefly fell about 0.4% to $20.57 after the market opened on Oct 23, before climbing to $20.73 by the mid-day break.
