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On Mar. 9, 2023, an internal memo was sent to SPH Media staff addressing the hiring of former staff from professional services company Accenture, reported The Straits Times (ST) and The Business Times (BT).

The memo stated that 21 people had been hired for senior leadership positions since SPH Media was formed in 2021.

This memo is likely to be in response to former ST editor Leslie Fong, who posted on Facebook on Mar. 6, a list of former Accenture staff who now make up the senior management team of SPH Media.

At the end of the list, Fong asked, "coincidence? You draw your own conclusions, my friends".

"The board of the company, to be funded by taxpayer money to the tune of S$900 million, does not appear to have any problem with the composition," he added.

The comments under Fong's post were split into both positive and negative feedback regarding the senior management's employment background.

An internal memo was sent to SPH Media staff

According to ST, three of the 21 people hired for senior leadership positions came directly from Accenture. Another three had prior experience at Accenture at some point in their careers but were in other companies before joining SPH Media.

The other 15 people came from other organisations.

On SPH Media's website, eight people are listed under the leadership team. There are three editorial leaders in the leadership team.

ST reported that the head of human resources, Maureen Wee, wrote that all staff appointments underwent careful evaluations to "ensure that each individual is able to contribute effectively".

"We will continue to recruit individuals with different perspectives, skills and experience to augment and enrich our talent pool," she added.

Wee also said, "all members of the SPH Media family are valuable regardless of where they came from and how long they have been with the organisation," ST wrote.

"Everyone has a role to play as we navigate the future together," Wee said.

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