Timah Partners CEO programme tackles SME succession gap in Southeast Asia

Succession remains a persistent challenge for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in Southeast Asia. To address this, Singapore-based Timah Partners has launched a dedicated CEO Succession Programme (CSP), with Kelvin Ho — a former senior EDB executive, and previous Head of Business of a local startup — announced as its first candidate.

Timah Partners is a permanent holding company that acquires and operates B2B businesses in the $2–10 million EBITDA range. Its mission is to strengthen the SME landscape in the region by ensuring sustainable leadership and long-term operational stewardship. The CSP is central to this mission, as it is designed to equip leaders with the skills and mindset required to helm SMEs without compromising their core strengths.

To qualify, candidates undergo a rigorous selection process involving interviews, case studies, and reference checks. Following which, the three-year programme begins with exposure to mergers and acquisitions, followed by an operational apprenticeship under a sitting CEO, and culminates in the candidate taking full leadership of one of Timah’s portfolio companies.

While intensive, the programme reflects the critical role SMEs play in the region’s economy. In Singapore alone, SMEs account for over 99% of all enterprises, which contribute 70% of local employment. Yet, according to HSBC’s inaugural report, more than half have no concrete succession plans in place, leaving them vulnerable to leadership gaps and stalled growth.

As the first CSP candidate, Ho brings nearly two decades of experience across operations, commercial strategy, and venture building in Southeast Asia, China and the U.S., with previous leadership roles including Singapore’s Economic Development Board (EDB); Swiss Re, a reinsurance and insurance company; and most recently, EVYD Technology, a local healthcare artificial intelligence startup.

Additionally, Ho has founded mission-driven organisations, and led non-profits focused on healthcare access, social enterprise, and small business development. This blend of experience indicates that Ho has operational expertise and impact-driven leadership, qualities that Timah likely aims to cultivate.

“I’m a firm believer in strong businesses as a way to build meaningful, lasting impact in society,” said Ho. “Joining Timah’s CSP is an opportunity for me to demonstrate that not just as an operator, but as a long-term steward of a company’s next chapter.”

Ho was drawn to the programme by his belief in the role of SMEs as contributors to economic resilience and growth. In addition to leadership training, CSP participants receive compensation, benefits, and equity ownership, incentivising them to lead their appointed companies to the best of their ability. As Timah operates as a permanent holding company, candidates like Ho are positioned to lead with a long-term vision, as they are free from exit-driven pressures.

“Kelvin embodies the grounded, values-driven, long-term oriented leadership that SMEs in Singapore want and need, and that we seek to develop at Timah,” said Dennis Chua, Founder and CEO of Timah Partners. “As the region’s first CSP candidate, he sets the tone for the kind of operational talent we believe will meaningfully transform SME continuity across Southeast Asia.”