Yeo Beng Huay, Director, Digital Transformation Governance, GovTech Singapore

1. In 30 words or less, please share what you do in GovTech Singapore. 

I lead the Digital Transformation Governance team in GovTech. My key responsibilities include driving change behaviour to uplift Agencies’ governance capabilities; monitoring the efficacy of policies / programmes and identifying systemic gaps for timely intervention. 

2. Walk us down your career. What were your significant highlights and milestones? 

Some notable achievements include the successful migration of the agencies’ legacy systems, the transformation of SG trade systems, and the development of data exchange with other countries to facilitate more efficient trade flow. 

At this moment, I am working on the transformation of ICT policy to enable agencies to deliver their systems faster and more cost effectively with risks mitigated. 

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3. How would your friends and family describe you?

A workhorse? Someone who is extremely dedicated, passionate, and committed to my work. My relentless pursuit of excellence and willingness to put in extra effort often leads to outstanding results and inspires those around me to strive for greatness.  

4. What sparked your interest in joining the public sector? 

A genuine desire to use IT to improve citizens’ and businesses’ livelihood. 

5. How do you use technology/policy to improve citizens’ lives or for Singapore? 
 

One of the programmes I am driving is to help make sure that agencies’ high usage digital services are easy-to-use and accessible to citizens. To do that, my team and I engage real users to conduct Usability Checks on selected high usage digital services, based on a set of quality standards. The results of the checks are sent to the agencies for remediation. 

6. What was the most impactful project you worked on this year or in your time with GovTech? 
 

Since last year, I am working on the transformation of Government ICT&SS policy. This involves major shift of mindset from compliance to risk-focused; empowering agencies to determine their right level of controls with risks mitigated; and use of automation to provide more efficient assurance. 

7. Everybody’s talking about AI today – give us your hot take on AI and what it means for the public sector. 

AI can help improve decision-making processes, analyse large amounts of data for better policymaking, and improve transparency and accountability. For example, AI can be used to predict trends, identify patterns, and provide insights that can help one make more informed decisions. Hence, we are working to exploit the use of AI to help provide guidance to agencies based on their queries raised.  

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8. What advice do you have for public sector innovators or people looking to join the public sector? 

Come join us to make Singapore a better place for you and your loved ones! 

9. What was one unexpected learning from 2024 for you? 

Change has to be calibrated, and at the right time with the right support. It would be much more difficult for us to transform policy as code without the power of cloud many years ago. 

10. What’s a tool or technique you’re excited to explore in 2025? 

No doubt, to exploit (better leverage) AI to work for us. 

11. What are your priorities for 2025? 

To see through the transformation of ICT&SS policy reform and most importantly, empowering agencies with the safe environment to deliver and scale their innovative systems timelier, more cost effectively, and with risks appropriately mitigated.