Thales has appointed Derek Cheng as Country Director for Singapore and Chief Executive Officer of Thales Solutions Asia, effective 1 October 2026. He takes over from Emily Tan and will oversee more than 2,000 employees across four sites in Singapore, including the company’s major digital identity and security manufacturing centre at Ayer Rajah Crescent and its avionics production and MRO facility at Changi North Rise.
Cheng joins from Vertical Aerospace, where he was Vice-President and Head of Commercial for Asia-Pacific. The move places him at the centre of Thales’ Singapore hub, which supports aerospace, defence, digital identity and security work across the region. His appointment keeps leadership in place for a business that combines industrial production, engineering and support services from Singapore, while also signalling continuity in one of Thales’ most important Asian operating bases.