Press Statement on Appointment of Ambassador to the Socialist Republic of Vietnam and Ambassador to the Federal Republic of Germany

        The Government has appointed Ms Catherine Wong Siow Ping as Singapore’s Ambassador to the Socialist Republic of Vietnam and Mr Laurence Bay Siow Hon as Singapore’s Ambassador to the Federal Republic of Germany. 

        Ms Catherine Wong will assume post as Ambassador to the Socialist Republic of Vietnam on 5 September 2016.  She joined the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in August 1995 and last served as the Director-General of the Americas Directorate from July 2014 to August 2016.  She was Special Assistant to then Foreign Minister George Yeo (August 2004 to December 2005) and served as the Director-General of the Consular Directorate (May 2012 to October 2014).  Ms Wong also served overseas at the Singapore Consulate-General in Hong Kong (June 1997 to June 2000) and the Singapore Embassy in Washington DC (May 2006 to July 2008). 

        Ms Wong graduated with a Bachelor of Social Science (Honours) from the National University of Singapore.  She also obtained a Master of Arts from Columbia University, United States of America.

        Mr Laurence Bay will assume post as Ambassador to the Federal Republic of Germany on 19 September 2016.  He joined the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in July 1996 and last served as the Director-General of the Consular Directorate from October 2014 to May 2016.  Prior to this, he was the Director-General of the South Asia and Sub-Saharan Africa Directorate (October 2012 to October 2014).  Mr Bay also served overseas at the Singapore Embassy in Jakarta (June 1999 to August 2003) and the Singapore Embassy in Tokyo (December 2008 to August 2012). 

        Mr Bay graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in History (First Class Honours) from the National University of Singapore and a Master of International Policy Studies from Stanford University, United States of America.  He was awarded the Public Administration Medal (Bronze) by the Singapore Government in 2007.

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MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS

SINGAPORE

25 AUGUST 2016

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BIOGRAPHICAL SUMMARY

        Ms Catherine Wong Siow Ping was the Director-General of the Americas Directorate at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs from July 2014 to August 2016.

        Born in Singapore on 8 April 1972, Ms Wong graduated with a Bachelor of Social Science in Mass Communications (Honours) from the National University of Singapore in 1995.  She subsequently obtained a Master of Arts in Political Science from Columbia University, United States of America, in 2003.

        Ms Wong joined the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in August 1995.  In the Ministry’s Headquarters, Ms Wong has held various portfolios in the ASEAN and Northeast Asia Directorates. She was the Director-General of the Consular Directorate from May 2012 to October 2014, and the Special Assistant to then Foreign Minister George Yeo from August 2004 to December 2005.  She has also served overseas at the Singapore Consulate-General in Hong Kong and the Singapore Embassy in Washington DC.

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BIOGRAPHICAL SUMMARY

        Mr Laurence Bay Siow Hon was born in Singapore on 9 June 1971. He last held the post of Director-General of the Consular Directorate, in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs from October 2014 to May 2016.

        Mr Bay graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in History (First Class Honours) from the National University of Singapore in 1996 and a Masters in International Policy Studies from Stanford University in 2004.

        Mr Bay joined the Singapore Foreign Service in July 1996.  In the Ministry Headquarters, he covered various portfolios in the Southeast Asia Directorate and had also served as Director-General of the South Asia and Sub-Saharan Africa Directorate (October 2012 to October 2014).  He served as First Secretary in Jakarta (June 1999 to August 2003), and as Deputy Chief of Mission in Tokyo (December 2008 to August 2012).

        Mr Bay was awarded the Public Administration Medal (Bronze) by the Singapore Government in 2007.

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