SIA CEO steps down from Virgin Australia board

Singapore Airlines (SIA) chief executive Goh Choon Phong will step down as a Virgin Australia director on New Year’s Day.

His replacement is SIA’s current alternate director on the board Marvin Tan, who is the Singapore-based carrier’s senior vice president for cabin crew, Virgin said in a statement on Thursday.

No reason was given for the decision to step down.

Goh was appointed to the board in July 2014, taking his seat alongside the chief executives of Virgin’s other major airline shareholders Christopher Luxon from Air New Zealand and Etihad Airways boss James Hogan.

SIA chief executive Goh Choon Phong at the International Air Transport Association annual general meeting in 2011. (IATA)

Of the trio, only Luxon remains after Hogan resigned in February 2015.

Virgin’s 2014/15 annual report showed Goh attended eight of the 13 board meetings held from the time he joined the board to June 30 2015. The SIA chief executive was also present at Virgin’s annual general meeting held in Brisbane on November 18.

SIA senior vice president for product and services Tan Pee Teck has been named as the airline’s alternate director on the Virgin board.

SIA holds roughly 23 per cent of Virgin Australia stock and is one of four major shareholders alongside Air New Zealand (26 per cent), Etihad (25 per cent) and Sir Richard Branson’s UK-based Virgin Group (10 per cent).