- 2 weeks ago
Kee Wei Hui: Advancing Climate-Resilient Healthcare Infrastructure for Sustainable Cities
Singapore continues to strengthen its global reputation as a leader in sustainable urban development, resilient infrastructure, and forward-looking public policy. Among the leaders driving this transformation is Kee Wei Hui, whose appointment to the Icons of Change Singapore recognizes her outstanding contributions to climate-resilient healthcare infrastructure and sustainable city development.
As Head of the Sustainability Office at MOH Holdings, the holding company for Singapore's public healthcare institutions, Kee Wei Hui is helping shape the future of one of the nation's most critical sectors. Her leadership reflects the growing recognition that healthcare infrastructure must not only deliver excellent patient care but also strengthen environmental resilience, operational efficiency, and long-term societal well-being.
A Registered Architect (Singapore), ASEAN Architect, Sustainability Professional (Global Reporting Initiative), and Industry Advisory Committee Member at the Singapore Institute of Technology (SIT), Kee Wei brings together architecture, sustainability strategy, governance, and systems thinking. Her interdisciplinary expertise enables her to bridge design excellence with strategic leadership, ensuring that sustainability is embedded throughout the lifecycle of major healthcare developments.
Guided by Sustainable Development Goal 11 – Sustainable Cities and Communities, Kee Wei leads the integration of decarbonisation strategies, circular economy principles, ESG governance, and climate resilience across Singapore's expanding healthcare infrastructure. Under her stewardship, sustainability is not treated as a compliance requirement but as a strategic imperative that enhances patient outcomes, institutional resilience, and responsible stewardship of national resources.
Prior to joining MOH Holdings, Kee Wei built a distinguished career in the built environment sector, advising investors, developers, and public institutions on sustainable development and ESG integration. Her work consistently demonstrated that environmental responsibility and economic performance are mutually reinforcing, helping organisations navigate the transition toward low-carbon, future-ready assets while creating long-term value for stakeholders.
An award-winning architect and lifelong learner, Kee Wei combines creative design thinking with rigorous business strategy. Her academic and professional credentials, including an MBA in Strategic Management from Northumbria University, a Master of Architecture (Distinction) from the National University of Singapore, and certifications in sustainability reporting and disclosure, reflect her commitment to continuous innovation and evidence-based leadership.
Beyond her executive responsibilities, Kee Wei Hui continues to actively contribute to Singapore's broader sustainability ecosystem through advisory roles.
Singapore continues to strengthen its global reputation as a leader in sustainable urban development, resilient infrastructure, and forward-looking public policy. Among the leaders driving this transformation is Kee Wei Hui, whose appointment to the Icons of Change Singapore recognizes her outstanding contributions to climate-resilient healthcare infrastructure and sustainable city development.
As Head of the Sustainability Office at MOH Holdings, the holding company for Singapore's public healthcare institutions, Kee Wei Hui is helping shape the future of one of the nation's most critical sectors. Her leadership reflects the growing recognition that healthcare infrastructure must not only deliver excellent patient care but also strengthen environmental resilience, operational efficiency, and long-term societal well-being.
A Registered Architect (Singapore), ASEAN Architect, Sustainability Professional (Global Reporting Initiative), and Industry Advisory Committee Member at the Singapore Institute of Technology (SIT), Kee Wei brings together architecture, sustainability strategy, governance, and systems thinking. Her interdisciplinary expertise enables her to bridge design excellence with strategic leadership, ensuring that sustainability is embedded throughout the lifecycle of major healthcare developments.
Guided by Sustainable Development Goal 11 – Sustainable Cities and Communities, Kee Wei leads the integration of decarbonisation strategies, circular economy principles, ESG governance, and climate resilience across Singapore's expanding healthcare infrastructure. Under her stewardship, sustainability is not treated as a compliance requirement but as a strategic imperative that enhances patient outcomes, institutional resilience, and responsible stewardship of national resources.
Prior to joining MOH Holdings, Kee Wei built a distinguished career in the built environment sector, advising investors, developers, and public institutions on sustainable development and ESG integration. Her work consistently demonstrated that environmental responsibility and economic performance are mutually reinforcing, helping organisations navigate the transition toward low-carbon, future-ready assets while creating long-term value for stakeholders.
An award-winning architect and lifelong learner, Kee Wei combines creative design thinking with rigorous business strategy. Her academic and professional credentials, including an MBA in Strategic Management from Northumbria University, a Master of Architecture (Distinction) from the National University of Singapore, and certifications in sustainability reporting and disclosure, reflect her commitment to continuous innovation and evidence-based leadership.
Beyond her executive responsibilities, Kee Wei Hui continues to actively contribute to Singapore's broader sustainability ecosystem through advisory roles.
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TVTranscript
00:00Well, I'd like to actually introduce myself as someone who works at the intersection of people, sustainability, as well as
00:07cities.
00:08Because, well, the thing is that I started my career at Arpit, and I actually went on to development.
00:14I was in public health care, and now in corporate real estate.
00:18So a lot of work that I do is actually highly reliant on not just the built environment,
00:23but the fact that it has social connections, inclusivity, accessibility, as well as how we can actually put the entire
00:32space of the built environment in a more human sense, if I may put it that way.
00:37So the echo of the things that I do is that I did realize over time that structures or design
00:43is not just physical structures.
00:45It actually embodies how people live, work, and play, to say the least.
00:50And it does actually carry a certain level of significance, and you can actually improve someone's lives, quite literally, through
00:57the built environment.
00:58The real estate or the built environment sector accounts for nearly 40% of global emissions today.
01:04And one thing that is quite important in the work that I do is I help entities, I help clients,
01:10I help organizations re-look at their assets, real estate assets,
01:15their portfolio level, or even at cities level, really depending on where they are.
01:18And the good news is that, you know, apart from, say, improving energy efficiencies within their buildings or portfolio,
01:25there are other mitigation methods that we can actually do, such as we actually improve the well-being and experience
01:32of the tenants and users.
01:34We are also looking at uplifting the building to make sure that it's relevant for time to come.
01:39Because some buildings, you know, they are built 20 years ago, 30 years ago.
01:43The use may have changed, right? Times have changed. We have all changed.
01:45So instead of really really pulling that building down, if we can actually reposition it, future-proof it, and make
01:52it for a better use,
01:53we're not just saving the planet, saving carbon, but we are also saving dollars here.
01:57And that really helps clients rebuild their portfolios and make their assets in a better way.
02:02So in short, there is actually quite a fundamental shift in thinking these days.
02:07So in the past, we used to think about very short-term gates, right, short-term web cycles.
02:11But today, we are really looking at a more wide-cycle, systemic thinking,
02:16where we don't longer see something at the point in time, but we see a longer-term,
02:21we take a longer-term view on how we actually do certain things.
02:26Well, the thing that I really enjoy the most is that the fact that I can actually effect change,
02:33positive change, you know, through different stakeholders.
02:36So the thing that I've really learned in healthcare, which is also very relevant to corporate real estate today,
02:41is how do we then bring different stakeholders around the table with a common goal to actually achieve something.
02:48So the key thing that I think we are all very vested in is really about resiliency today.
02:55So resiliency in how we actually can make something better.
02:59And this is something that really excites me and it's really the passion that I put in works.
03:05So whether it's helping clients look at their portfolios or their built environment, real estate, assets, etc.
03:11The fact that we can actually change something for the better and it actually helps improve not just lives,
03:19but your bottom line, I think that really excites me and it's something that I love working through every way.
03:25Well, I'm a strong believer that everything that we do today is to help the future be better.
03:32I have two young kids and, you know, sometimes I was thinking that I grew up in a world that
03:37was definitely far less more than what we experienced in the day.
03:41And this becomes a very important reckoning that if we don't start doing something today, it's going to impact the
03:49future.
03:49So what really keeps me really going every day is to really think about the kind of little actions,
03:56the kind of contributions that we do, even in our work as a system, they are part and parcel of
04:03how we can actually drive change
04:04and hopefully attract more change and for more similar-minded people to actually jump on this change together.
04:12So that's really something that really keeps me going away.
04:15And I believe it's really coming true and, you know, whether it's in public health care or in my corporate
04:20real estate position right now,
04:22I think it's very, very proper thing to know that many people are actually embracing such form of collaboration,
04:28public and private sector, and there is an urgent need and need to know that they must do something
04:34in however small ways that they can at the start.
04:38The truth of the matter is that there are still many organizations and entities today
04:43who view sustainability as a cost versus as a long-term value driver.
04:49But having said, we do see changes, and at least I do see changes throughout the years of my career,
04:56in that people are also beginning at the same time to realize that, you know,
05:00being able to achieve certain sustainability ambitions, having ESG performance that are strong,
05:06is actually not just only good for the environment, but it's also good for the books.
05:10So when you actually have a, well, a conversation between do well and do good,
05:15many a times they do much, and when the, well, I would say if the profit line is good,
05:21why not do well and do good at the same time?
05:24So this is really one of the key things of really looking at how SDG 11 is actually being crafted
05:31out.
05:32And more importantly, in today's context, many things are no longer just in silence.
05:37We are looking at a very holistic term of what sustainability actually means.
05:42So when we talk about a 2030 goal coming very soon,
05:46a lot of times it actually falls about what can the individual,
05:49the individual organization, as well as the city as a whole,
05:53as a macro level, actually play that together.
05:56You can't really do that alone.
05:57You know, there's, well, the key message is you can't do that single little change alone,
06:02but you actually need a whole ecosystem to help support that.
06:06So if I were to talk about corporate sustainability goals,
06:10I think a lot of it, we are really looking at driving value in adapting the built environment.
06:18So, you know, if we look around the world today, we see climate change, we see climate risk, right?
06:22I think it's something that we experience day to day.
06:25There's rising energy costs, which we also work with that,
06:28tightening regulations, changing regulations.
06:31And there are also really risk-shifting mindsets from investors and employees, all alike.
06:37So with this colundrum of, well, I would say factors that is really affecting us today,
06:44one of the key things that is really driving is how do we then adapt,
06:48how do we retrofit, and how do we actually reposition what we have today
06:53so that it's relevant for tomorrow.
06:55So this is what I think will be actually quite important in driving our dyspecology.
07:01The dilemma is always, you know, in healthcare,
07:06patient care will always be the first priority, and rightfully so.
07:10So when we talk about healthcare having a huge amount of carbon emissions,
07:14the truth is that if healthcare, global healthcare was a country,
07:17will be the fifth largest in the world in contributions.
07:20But we do not want to look at those statistics and just slip it under the rug, right,
07:24and not do anything about it.
07:26So one of the greatest challenges, really, is how do we bring different stakeholders?
07:30So we're talking about from doctors, clinicians, the facilities managers,
07:35the operators, and so on and so forth.
07:38How do we then all come together with a common goal to actually see how we can actually decarbonise healthcare?
07:44And as we can imagine, healthcare alone is that healthcare is meant to actually save people.
07:50But a lot of emerging health risks actually come from climate change.
07:55So there is an intrinsic symbiotic relationship that healthcare can't involve,
08:00if I were to put it that way.
08:02So when we look at the entire study, we are not just looking at about hospital operations,
08:08we are looking at pharmaceuticals, consumer books, the way that we carry out medical practices even.
08:14So there was an entire end-to-end, well, hands-on-deck exercise.
08:20And the one thing that was really marvellous in this entire study is that we actually involve everyone
08:27from the policy makers right to the person who is actually operating the facility
08:32to actually enable the study to come through.
08:36So I would say that the key strength is really collaboration.
08:39And they all had this collaborative mindset that, yes, they would like to do their part to do something.
08:45And hence, yes, it's a study.
08:47Well, the thing that's probably the least exciting, and I'm not going to lie about it,
08:51is, you know, sometimes change is not as fast as you may want it to be.
08:55Yeah, I think we all are now in a world where we have instant gratification,
08:59and that's really tough when we are talking about impacting or effecting change at a larger scale.
09:05So there will be quite a number of perseverance required.
09:11You know, we need to be quite persistent even.
09:13But I think the key thing is really to still have that very positive collaborative mindset
09:20so that we can bring everyone back, really, to how we can manage those changes
09:26through a very transitional process.
09:28So it's not going to be immediate, but it will come.
09:31It's just, it just, I call it a rite of passage sometimes as we, yeah, bring that.
09:35I would say the one word is catalyst.
09:38So catalyst, you know, basically enable movement, right?
09:42So you may not be the loudest person in the room, see, but being a catalyst enables you
09:48to merge ideas, systems, and people all together to create positive change.
09:54If there are three things that I would, you know, typically encourage or even share with
10:01the younger crowd, you know, or anyone, you know, it's, first is adaptability.
10:06So I think being able to adapt and being to transition in that adaptability is very, very important.
10:13The kind of problems or challenges that we face today may not even be relevant tomorrow, right?
10:19I mean, things are actually moving at that kind of pace.
10:21So being able to adapt to what the environment calls for, that's very, very important.
10:27That's one.
10:27Or the second one really is systems thinking.
10:31You know, I think you brought it up earlier.
10:33So whatever degree or whatever study major that you are in today, never be pigeonholed
10:41to it because there are always, always transferable skills that you can use it to match and use
10:46it to really expound on your next venture or something else that you are doing.
10:52You see, it's all integrated.
10:53That's really what education is.
10:54It's actually integrated and not siloed thinking.
10:57And the last one really is empathy.
11:00We are in the age of, you know, huge data, AI technology.
11:04They are here to stay.
11:05They are not going to disappear too much.
11:07So without empathy, it's going to be very hard to even understand what humans really were
11:13in the first place, right?
11:15Amidst the data and slew of information that you get, how do we make sense of it so that
11:21if it's still human, right?
11:23It's still humanized.
11:25You know, I think in today's context, right, with everything fast moving and with modern
11:30information and the mass of life and all that, work-life balance has always been the top
11:35agenda, I think, for many people.
11:37But I would like to actually throw a caution to the term work-life balance because the last
11:42thing you want is to be project managing your life, right?
11:44Okay, at 9 to 10, you've got to do this and 10 to 11, you've got to do that.
11:47And that's work-life balance.
11:48So that is actually not work-life balance to me.
11:53Work-life balance is really understanding when do we actually put in that amount of
11:58work to really pursue the kind of passions and ambitions and goals you have.
12:06And at the same time, it is being offset, you know, I'm talking about very circular manner.
12:11How is being offset by making sure that family and friends are not traded off, you know,
12:17in that whole realm, right?
12:19So if I were to quote to, okay, 9 to 5, I work, and 5 to 8, I go family
12:24and so on and so forth,
12:26then it becomes very awkward.
12:28That's not work-life balance.
12:30There won't be sacrifices.
12:32There will be times that you need to put in extra hours because of certain reasons, right?
12:37Whether it's work or family, but we shouldn't see them as discrete items.
12:42But they should actually be part of the puzzle of what you truly believe in.
12:47And the good thing is that, well, my husband is a sustainability professional as well, very
12:53similar to myself.
12:54And my kids, well, they go to school, they're still young and all that.
12:58So I do treasure family time where possible.
13:03So weekends typically, you know, unless I work tribals and all that, non-negotiable.
13:07Yeah, but I do understand as well, there are actually times where, you know, you have
13:12to step up simply because of a certain work emergency.
13:16But I would then say that when we look at the term work-life balance, okay, work and life
13:24and balance, maybe the key thing that we want to really stress on is balance.
13:29Yeah, what actually works for you?
13:31It's not about whether you need to sleep 6 hours or you sleep 4 hours or 8 hours.
13:35I think those are just numbers.
13:37They shouldn't go with, they shouldn't go technical in that sense.
13:40But what is the perfect balance for you in really managing all that?
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