About

Whilst overseeing all legal affairs matters of the local and international business activities for SMRT Corporation, a major public transport operator in Singapore, Jacquelin Tay implemented a comprehensive suite of processes, policies and tools that have resulted in increased transparency, a shorter decision chain and sustainable pragmatic solutions to enable new business opportunities. ‘These, belying the diversity of the business of the SMRT Group and its evolving nature, continuously demands an able command of legal expertise in both depth and breadth’, Tay reveals. Tay’s role at the company was initially a transformational one requiring execution of effective change management, both within the legal department and externally. This helped to support the on-going reorganisation efforts and expansion of business activities taking place within the wider SMRT Group. These include a new wave of investments and joint ventures as part of its strategic growth, adapting to new regulations and regulatory models (such as the Bus Contracting Model), the furtherance of new R&D efforts aimed at improving transport reliability via the implementation of the SMRT-NTU-NRF Corporate Lab. Most recently Tay oversaw the successful transition into the ‘New Rail Financing Framework’ as well as the privatisation action by Temasek. Tay is also known for promoting technology within the legal profession. For example, she has recently pushed for the utilisation of e-signatures, and has thus contributed dramatically to the increase of productivity within group. Tay is hopeful that businesses will start perceiving legal departments as strategic partners, rather than merely as support functions, adding: ‘Lawyers by virtue of their training, analyse more and are therefore well-positioned to see both sides of any matter. Further, lawyers typically comprehend sufficiently of the industry/technology yet are able to critique through a third party lens, giving them objectivity and strategic distance to provide advice’.