Lim Hock Chee

Lim Hock Chee is the CEO of mainboard-listed Sheng Siong Group, which operates more than 80 supermarkets across Singapore and China. With hard work and foresight, Lim grew the firm from its humble beginnings as a mini-supermarket in Ang Mo Kio to the third-largest supermarket chain in the country, with a 15 per cent share of the supermarket pie in Singapore.

Lim started out selling pork at a rented stall in a grocery store. With his two brothers, he took over the store and established the first Sheng Siong outlet in 1985. The chain made a name by selling groceries for less than its competitors, and grew by leaps and bounds. Sheng Siong combined the concepts of traditional markets and supermarkets for greater consumer convenience, offering both “wet” and “dry” shopping options in the form of live, fresh and chilled produce such as seafood, meat, fruits and vegetables, processed and packaged food products, as well as household essentials such as toiletries.

In 2018, Sheng Siong and the Institute of Technical Education (ITE) signed a three-year agreement in which both parties would collaborate in internship opportunities, scholarships and course medal awards for ITE students; attachments for ITE staff; and industry projects related to the supermarket chain’s business and operations.

Lim’s leadership emphasises community involvement and support for local producers. He was awarded the Public Service Medal and the Public Service Star in 2006 and 2014 respectively for his contributions to Singapore's economy. He was also recognises as Singapore’s Businessman of the Year at the Singapore Business Awards 2019.