Sing Lun Holdings CEO Li Jianhui Elected SBF Chairman: Enterprise Resilience & AI Opportunities

Sing Lun Holdings CEO Li Jianhui has been elected as the new chairman of the Singapore Business Federation (SBF), succeeding former chairman Zhang Songsheng, who had earlier announced he would step down temporarily and not seek re-election.

SBF held its 24th Annual General Meeting on Wednesday (June 24) and elected the 13th Council, with a two-year term ending in 2028.

SBF said in a statement that the new Council has 24 members: 12 elected councilors, 11 representatives from trade associations and chambers, and one co-opted councilor.

The new Council includes six new councilors: American Chamber of Commerce in Singapore (AmCham Singapore) Chairman Adam Click, Restaurant Association of Singapore President Moses Mok, SGTech Chairman Lee Teck Ming, and Quantedge Capital CEO Suhaimi Zainul-Abidin.

During the AGM, SBF also held the fifth Future Ready Business dialogue, with Guest of Honour Minister for Public Service and Defence Chan Chun Sing.

The dialogue, themed 'System-Wide Readiness: What Must Government and Businesses Change?', brought together many business executives and policymakers to discuss how companies can strengthen resilience, build future-ready capabilities and cope with rising uncertainty.

Li Jianhui: Ensuring Businesses Remain Competitive and Resilient for Future Growth

New Chairman Li Jianhui, who is also a Nominated Member of Parliament, said in the statement that geopolitical tensions, the rapid development of artificial intelligence (AI) and the changing trade landscape are reshaping the global economy, bringing both challenges and opportunities for businesses.

Li said: 'My top priority is to ensure businesses remain competitive, resilient and future-ready. We will work closely with enterprises, government and industry partners to develop practical solutions, create a conducive environment for business development, and help companies build the capabilities needed for innovation, internationalization and sustained growth.'

He also noted that Singapore will chair ASEAN next year, offering a good opportunity to deepen regional economic integration and strengthen ASEAN as a key engine of global growth. SBF will work with regional partners to turn these opportunities into tangible business outcomes and make ASEAN more interconnected, innovative and sustainable.

Li previously served as SBF Vice-Chairman and Treasurer. He also acted as SBF Chairman during Zhang Songsheng's temporary absence.

Zhang Songsheng, 71, issued a statement in May saying he would not seek re-election after his SBF chairman term ended on June 24. He had earlier temporarily stepped down from his roles as SBF Chairman, Pacific International Lines Executive Chairman and director, among others, to deal with US Department of Justice charges. Earlier, Lianhe Zaobao reported that the US had accused him of involvement in manipulating dry bulk container prices.