Singtel sharpens digital strategy, boosts leadership team

• Focus on 3 key businesses in digital life: Amobee, Hooq, and DataSpark
• Digital initiatives that are not scalable have been discontinued

SINGAPORE Telecommunications Ltd (Singtel) said it is sharpening its digital business strategy, and also announced changes to its senior leadership team.
 
Its Group Digital Life unit was set up in 2012 to drive efforts to capture opportunities in the digital world. Following a recent review, Singtel will focus on three key businesses in digital life – digital marketing (Amobee), regional premium video (Hooq), and advanced analytics and intelligence capabilities (DataSpark).
 
DataSpark’s role as Singtel’s ‘digital innovation engine’ would also be strengthened through its Innov8 venture fund, Singtel said in a statement.
 
Digital lifestyle services comprising AMPed, Dash, HungryGoWhere and Insing.com, and NewsLoop, will be managed within the Singapore Consumer business, where they can scale faster to enhance Singtel’s core telecommunications offerings in Singapore, the company said.
 
Certain digital initiatives that are not scalable have been discontinued, the company added.
 
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“In the last three years, we have experimented to explore opportunities where our unique telco assets can be put to best use in this digital era,” said Singtel group chief executive officer (CEO) Chua Sock Koong (pic).
 
“We have identified digital marketing, regional premium OTT (over-the-top) video and advanced analytics as key growth areas. We will double our efforts to build Amobee, Hooq and DataSpark to become significant players,” she added.
 
To help navigate and grow in the fast moving digital space, each of these businesses will be guided by a board which includes independent directors with relevant industry and domain expertise, Singtel said.
 
“The Group’s ability to innovate in the digital space is key to its transformation success. Singtel Innov8, our corporate venture capital fund, continues to give the Group early access to leading innovations,” said Chua.
 
Changes to leadership team  
 
Singtel also announced that Lim Cheng Cheng (pic), currently the deputy group chief financial officer (CFO), will be appointed group CFO. She will be responsible for all finance related functions.
 
Jeann Low, currently the group CFO, will take on the role of group chief corporate officer. She will oversee the group’s corporate functions which include strategy, mergers and acquisitions, corporate communications, legal, regulatory and procurement.
 
Samba Natarajan, currently the managing director of Digital Enterprise, will be appointed CEO Group Digital Life. He will be responsible for the group’s digital portfolio, including Amobee, Hooq, DataSpark and Innov8.
 
All three will report to the group CEO.
 
Jonathan Auerbach, currently CEO Group Digital Life, will relinquish his executive role but remains associated with the group as chairman of Hooq and director of Amobee.
 
The changes are effective April 10.
 
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