Dato’ Seri Dr. Derek Goh Bak Heng, BBM(L)

Dr. Derek Goh Bak Heng founded Serial System as a sole proprietorship in 1988, incorporated Serial System Ltd in 1992. Derek is the Executive Chairman and Group Chief Executive Officer who leads the management team in executing strategies to achieve the goals set by the Board of Directors.

In 1996, Derek won the “Entrepreneur of the Year Award”, organised by the Rotary Club of Singapore and the Association of Small and Medium Enterprises, supported by the Trade Development Board. 

From 1997 to 2000, Derek was the President of The Association of Small & Medium Enterprises (ASME).

In 1997, Derek was elected the National President of JCI Singapore and was conferred the Singapore Youth Award (Individual) for entrepreneurship, the nation’s highest honour for youths. 

In 1999, Derek was conferred the ASEAN Best Young Entrepreneur Award 1999 by the ASEAN Secretariat, and the World Association of Small and Medium Enterprises (WASME) Special Honour Award by the World Association of Small and Medium Enterprises on 29 March 2000. 

In 2004, Derek was awarded the Public Service Medal (Pingat Bakti Masyarakat) by the President of the Republic of Singapore and in 2010, the Public Service Star Medal (Bintang Bakti Masyarakat) on the National Day Honours 2010. 

In 2010, Derek was awarded the “Asia Pacific Entrepreneurship Awards 2010 Entrepreneur of the Year” by the Enterprise Asia. 

In 2011, he won the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of The Year 2011 Singapore Award for the Electronic Components Distribution Category. 

In 2014, Derek was elected the President of JCI Senators of South East Asian Nations. In the same year, he was conferred the Darjah Indera Mangku Sultan Mahmud Badaruddin III – (D.I.M.S) which carries the title Dato’ by KDYMM Sultan Mahmud Badaruddin III ( D.K.T., D.K., D.K.II., S.S.M.S., S.P.M.S., S.S.S.M., S.S.P.M., S.P.T.M., S.J.N.) Sultan Negeri Palembang Darussalam.

In 2015, Derek was awarded the International – Singapore ASEAN Leading Brand International Entrepreneur of the Year at the ASEAN Outstanding Business Award 2015. He was also named the “UN Asia Pacific Most Prominent Entrepreneur” co-organised by the Trade and Industry Association Singapore and the United Nations Association of Singapore. He was also awarded one of the “Top Outstanding Leaders in Asia 2015” in the Asia Corporate Excellence & Sustainability Awards 2015. In that year, he was conferred the Seri Pangeran Temenggong Sultan Mahmud Badaruddin III which carries the title Dato’ Seri by The Sultan of Palembang, Sultan Mahmud Badaruddin III.

In 2021, Derek was awarded the Public Service Star (Bar) Bintang Bakti Masyarakat (Lintang) on the National Day Honours 2021. 

In 2023, Derek was also elected as Teochew Poit Ip Huay Kuan President.

As at 31 March 2024, Derek holds 365,997,970 shares (40.45%) in Serial System Ltd. Derek is a substantial shareholder of Serial System Ltd.