DBS chief Tan Su Shan says she's 'too old' to enter politics, calls for diverse talent to boost policy debate - Mothership

She added that private sector professionals may approach decisions on business and growth differently from those in the public sector, which she said is important to keeping Singapore relevant.

DBS chief executive Tan Su Shan has ruled out entering politics, while calling for more talent from both the public and private sectors to raise the quality of policy debate in Singapore.

Tan, 57, made the comment when asked if she would consider standing in the next General Election, during a fireside chat organised by the Singapore Press Club on Sep. 11, as reported by Lianhe Zaobao.

Asked about her political ambitions, Tan responded with a laugh: "I'm too old".

Tan was previously a member of the ruling People's Action Party (PAP), and resigned from the party before being appointed a Nominated Member of Parliament (NMP) from 2012 to 2014.

She said her time as an NMP gave her a deeper understanding of Singapore's policy-making process, and showed her how parliamentary debate could help drive policy change.

According to Zaobao, Tan recalled that during her NMP term, no one ever asked her to hold back a question or stop pursuing an issue. She said: "If you disagree with something, raise it. If you're wrong, we'll push back. If you're right, we'll listen. But raise it anyway."

Tan's remarks followed a recent parliamentary debate on ministerial salaries, in which Prime Minister Lawrence Wong said he wanted to attract more private sector candidates into government, reported The Business Times.

PM Wong had cited leaders of major Singapore-listed companies in sectors like banking, telecommunications, aviation and engineering as examples of the talent pool the government is competing with.

He said Singapore "cannot pretend that the opportunity cost does not exist", though he emphasised that the government is not trying to match private sector pay, given that such professionals' pay already exceeds that of starting-grade ministers.

Tan, who became DBS CEO last year, received total compensation of S$9.64 million for 2025, covering her first nine months as CEO and her earlier period as deputy CEO, Business Times reported.

Tan said Singapore needs to keep improving the quality of debate, which requires bringing in the right people with relevant industry experience from both the public and private sectors, according to Zaobao.

"I would like to see healthy debate that's not personal but more around policy, around judgement, around lending, and if that means attracting the best talent in Singapore to get in, why not?" she said, as reported by Business Times.

She added that private sector professionals may approach decisions on business and growth differently from those in the public sector, which she said is important for keeping Singapore relevant.

According to BT, she added that staying ahead also means being willing to take risks and accept failure. "God forbid Singapore fail at anything, right? We're always the best student," she said. "But heck, in this world, we need to fail to learn and move on."

Zaobao reported that Tan cited her own push, while serving as an NMP, for a policy to allow women to freeze their eggs, as an example of how individual lawmakers can effect change. The policy was not passed at the time but was eventually approved in 2023.

"So I think if everyone can play their small part in pushing policy in a direction that benefits Singapore, Parliament can function more effectively," she said.