Asia-Pacific High Flyer

New Zealander, now Singaporean resident Simon Israel has secured his place in the upper echelons of Singapore’s business community with his appointment as the first non-Singaporean Director of state holding and investment agency Temasek. Temasek’s US $60 billion portfolio spans a wide range of industries, including pharmaceuticals, telecommunications, property and biosciences. 52-year-old Israel is also Asia-Pacific Chairman of French food and beverage conglomerate Danone, Director of Singapore telecommunications company SingTel, and Chairman of the Singapore Tourism Board. “[Simon] has a wealth of marketing and investment experience in the Asia-Pacific region, as well as a practitioner’s knowledge of various consumer trends in Asia,” said Temasek Chairman S Dhanabalan.