Mr Chan Ying Jian joined Yeo Hiap Seng Limited on 1 July 2021 as Group Chief Financial Officer, with responsibilities covering the Finance, IT, Legal and Corporate Secretarial functions across the Group’s business.
Prior to joining YHS, Ying Jian was Chief Financial Officer and IT Director at The Learning Lab, one of Singapore’s largest after school tuition and enrichment chain, that is 100%-owned by Advent International, a global private equity firm headquartered in the United States. During his time at The Learning Lab, Ying Jian was actively involved in navigating the business operations through the COVID-19 challenges, business development and centre expansions, restructuring of underperforming operating assets, as well as the exit preparation for the private equity owner.
Before The Learning Lab, Ying Jian was Group Chief Financial Officer and Group Chief Investment Officer of BreadTalk Group Limited. The Group had an annual revenue of close to S$700 million with operations spanning 16 countries across ten food and beverages brands. Ying Jian was appointed Group CFO of BreadTalk Group Limited on 10 June 2015, after having joined the Group as the Financial Controller of its Food Atrium Division ten months earlier on 1 August 2014. At the age of 32 then, he was amongst the youngest to be appointed Group CFO of a SGX Mainboard listed company. During his tenure, Ying Jian also concurrently headed the IT, Legal and Investor Relations functions of the Group, and was also the Country Manager of the Group’s North China business. In his capacity, Ying Jian was a strong business partner who works alongside the Group Chairman, CEO and Division CEOs on all investments, mergers and acquisitions and joint ventures, having completed close to 20 deals of various nature. Landmark deals completed by Ying Jian included the S$80 million acquisition of Food Junction (a chain of 16 food courts across Singapore and Malaysia) – the largest in the Group’s history, as well as two rounds of oversubscribed bond issuance in the debt capital markets at competitive credit spreads.He also oversaw the planning and construction of the Group’s US$30 million production facility in Jiaxing city, Zhejiang province, China, including acquisition of land, securing of significant government incentives, financing and management of the project. During his tenure, the Group recorded the highest revenue, net profit and market capitalisation in its history.
In recognition for his achievement as a young finance leader, Ying Jian was awarded the Rising Star (Professional Accountant in Business) at the Singapore Accountancy Awards in 2018. He was also accorded the SMU Alumni Rising Star Award in 2015.
Prior to joining BreadTalk Group, Ying Jian was Vice President of Equity Research with J.P. Morgan Securities Singapore, serving as Sector Head of Agri-Commodities and Consumer Staples for the ASEAN region. As an analyst, Ying Jian was well regarded within the investment community for his thought leadership and actionable research ideas. He was named the “Top Earnings Estimator” for the Retail and Consumer Products sector at the 2012 Thomson Reuters Analyst Awards, and was the “Top Stock Picker” in the same sector in 2014.
Ying Jian graduated summa cum laude (with Highest Distinction) from the Singapore Management University with double degree in Business Management (Finance) and Accountancy, under the SMU Scholarship. He is also a Chartered Accountant of Singapore (CA Singapore) and a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA).
In the area of community work, Ying Jian is an active grassroot leader, serving as an executive committee member of the Gerald-Mugliston-Luxus neighbourhood committee. He is also a member of the CFO Committee and the Young Finance Leaders Network at the Institute of Singapore Chartered Accountants (ISCA).
