Arthur Kiong to step down as managing director of Far East Hospitality by end-2025

[SINGAPORE] Hospitality veteran Arthur Kiong will step down as the managing director of Far East Hospitality (FEH), the hospitality arm of Far East Orchard (FEO).

Kiong will retire from his post on Dec 31, 2025. He will be succeeded by FEH’s deputy managing director Mark Rohner, who will step up as managing director on Jan 1, 2026.

The moves are “part of FEO’s strategic succession planning for sustainable long-term growth”, said FEH in a statement on Tuesday (Sep 9).

They also follow an earlier reshuffling of titles that took place on Sep 1. Then, Kiong and Rohner were redesignated from their respective positions as CEO and chief operating officer to their current titles. Their roles and responsibilities have remained the same.

FEH said Kiong has been “instrumental in driving the brand’s growth and success”.

Kiong has spent more than three decades in the hospitality industry and has led FEH for close to 14 years.

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He introduced the motto of providing “Singapore-inspired hospitality”, which the company said has become the cornerstone of its brand identity.

FEH noted that, under Kiong’s leadership, it has achieved several accolades. For one, seven of its hotels clinched a place on the “Best of the Best in Singapore” list at the TripAdvisor Travellers’ Choice Awards in 2024.

Upon stepping down, Kiong will assume the role of consultant from Jan 1, 2026, until Apr 30, 2026, to support the leadership transition.

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Speaking of his time in the industry, Kiong expressed gratitude at having contributed to hotel companies.

“My tenure at Far East Hospitality has been especially meaningful, and together with the dedicated team, we’ve redefined our brands (and) expanded into new markets,” he said.

“I have full confidence in Mark to lead Far East Hospitality to new heights from here on.”

Rohner joined FEH as chief operating officer on Jul 1, 2024. With over 25 years of experience in hospitality, he has held senior positions in real estate investment, asset management and hotel operations.

Speaking on Kiong’s retirement, he said: “Arthur has established a strong foundation in service excellence and branding, and I look forward to building on these strengths.”

FEH was formed as a 70-30 joint venture between FEO and The Straits Trading Company in 2013.

FEO is a member of Singapore private property developer Far East Organization.

Shares of FEO ended Monday at S$1.30, up by S$0.06 or 4.8 per cent.