<TABLE border=0 cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="100%"><TBODY><TR>July 30, 2009
GOODYEAR'S SHOCK EXIT
</TR><!-- headline one : start --><TR>Rumours 'far from truth' <!--10 min-->
</TR><!-- headline one : end --><TR>Temasek CEO Ho Ching dismisses speculation over reasons for departure </TR><!-- Author --><TR><TD class="padlrt8 georgia11 darkgrey bold" colSpan=2>By Fiona Chan
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ST PHOTO: STEPHANIE YEOW
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<!-- START OF : div id="storytext"-->TEMASEK Holdings chief executive Ho Ching yesterday dismissed rumours in the market about why CEO-designate Charles 'Chip' Goodyear had decided not to take the top post.
'I think there has been a lot of speculation,' she said, in her first public words on the topic since Temasek's shock announcement last week of Mr Goodyear's resignation.
'We look at this speculation sometimes with irritation and sometimes with amusement because all of it is very far away from the truth, including those sources who claimed to be familiar with the situation.
'They were obviously not,' she added.
Ms Ho was responding to a question at Wednesday's annual IPS Corporate Associates Lunch, organised by the Institute of Policy Studies (IPS) at the Four Seasons Singapore. She was the guest of honour.
Mr Goodyear, 51, was to replace Ms Ho, 56, as CEO from Oct 1, until Temasek issued an unexpected statement saying 'strategic differences' had led both the company and Mr Goodyear to change their minds.
Since then, Singapore has been abuzz with speculation over what these strategic differences could be.
News agency Reuters reported that Mr Goodyear's decision was probably made after a board meeting this month at which he suggested proposals and changes that the board did not agree on.
The Wall Street Journal also ran an article citing sources within Temasek who said Mr Goodyear, trying to instil tighter discipline, had fined people for showing up late to internal meetings and had prohibited them from typing messages on their BlackBerrys during meetings.
Temasek had not responded to these rumours and has so far remained tight-lipped on the differences.
GOODYEAR'S SHOCK EXIT
</TR><!-- headline one : start --><TR>Rumours 'far from truth' <!--10 min-->
</TR><!-- headline one : end --><TR>Temasek CEO Ho Ching dismisses speculation over reasons for departure </TR><!-- Author --><TR><TD class="padlrt8 georgia11 darkgrey bold" colSpan=2>By Fiona Chan
</TD></TR><!-- show image if available --><TR vAlign=bottom><TD width=330>
</TD><TD width=10>
ST PHOTO: STEPHANIE YEOW
</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>
<!-- START OF : div id="storytext"-->TEMASEK Holdings chief executive Ho Ching yesterday dismissed rumours in the market about why CEO-designate Charles 'Chip' Goodyear had decided not to take the top post.
'I think there has been a lot of speculation,' she said, in her first public words on the topic since Temasek's shock announcement last week of Mr Goodyear's resignation.
'We look at this speculation sometimes with irritation and sometimes with amusement because all of it is very far away from the truth, including those sources who claimed to be familiar with the situation.
'They were obviously not,' she added.
Ms Ho was responding to a question at Wednesday's annual IPS Corporate Associates Lunch, organised by the Institute of Policy Studies (IPS) at the Four Seasons Singapore. She was the guest of honour.
Mr Goodyear, 51, was to replace Ms Ho, 56, as CEO from Oct 1, until Temasek issued an unexpected statement saying 'strategic differences' had led both the company and Mr Goodyear to change their minds.
Since then, Singapore has been abuzz with speculation over what these strategic differences could be.
News agency Reuters reported that Mr Goodyear's decision was probably made after a board meeting this month at which he suggested proposals and changes that the board did not agree on.
The Wall Street Journal also ran an article citing sources within Temasek who said Mr Goodyear, trying to instil tighter discipline, had fined people for showing up late to internal meetings and had prohibited them from typing messages on their BlackBerrys during meetings.
Temasek had not responded to these rumours and has so far remained tight-lipped on the differences.