CDL’s Chia Ngiang Hong is first recipient of Singapore Life Achievement Award

The industry veteran is honoured for four decades of leadership, from pioneering the city’s green building movement to steering the sector through the pandemic and technological disruptions

Chia Ngiang Hong, group general manager of City Developments Limited (CDL), was conferred the inaugural Life Achievement Award at the 15th PropertyGuru Asia Property Awards (Singapore) gala on Friday.

The historic golden statuette was presented to him during the black-tie ceremonies held at Andaz Singapore.

“I am deeply honoured to be the inaugural recipient of PropertyGuru’s Life Achievement Award,” he says in a statement. “The Award holds special significance as we mark Singapore’s 60th milestone this year.”

The Life Achievement Award adds to an illustrious list of honours that Chia Ngiang Hong has received over the years, including National Day honours such as the PBM, BBM, and BBM(L) awards.

CDL itself capped the night by reclaiming the Best Developer title, its first win in the category since 2016.

Chia Ngiang Hong’s career parallels the nation’s evolution into a sustainable, modern metropolis. Since joining CDL in 1981, he has worked behind the scenes to help develop architectural landmarks such as The Sail @ Marina Bay and Republic Plaza. Alongside CDL, he pioneered fresh living and working concepts in Singapore and introduced new hospitality brands to the market.

Related: Developers bring home the gold from the 15th PropertyGuru Asia Property Awards (Singapore)

In the mid-1980s, he was recruited by CDL’s executive chairman into the Real Estate Developers’ Association of Singapore (REDAS), beginning a long career of moulding industry policy and laying the ground for the orderly, transparent market of today. His leadership was later tested during the pandemic, when, as REDAS president, he galvanised the sector to action, overcoming unprecedented challenges.

“Having been in the industry for over four decades and witnessed its remarkable growth has been immensely rewarding,” he says. “I am incredibly privileged to have had the opportunity to contribute to Singapore’s real estate sector, both at work and through serving on various industry bodies and associations.”

He was an early proponent of Singapore’s green building movement, embedding the “Conserving as We Construct” ethos into the company. The awardee ushered various green building firsts and value chain initiatives, including the CDL 5-Star Environmental, Health and Safety (EHS) Assessment System and the CDL Green Lease and City Green Tenant Bonus Programme.

“From the needs-focused priorities of the earlier decades, we shifted gears in the mid-2000s to focus on pushing the industry to design and build sustainably, in support of Singapore’s ‘City in a Garden’ vision,” he says. “At a time when most of the developers were trying to mitigate costs, investing in green building features and innovation was a radical concept.”

In this season of his career, Chia Ngiang Hong boldly welcomes the disruptive technologies and rapid innovations emerging in the property sector. He envisions the entire real estate value chain, from the design and build process to handover and maintenance, to continually cater to the needs of a new generation of market participants.

“I hope that we will embrace transformation boldly,” he says. “It is an exciting time, filled with infinite possibilities for market players to revolutionise the industry.”