Singapore, 6 April 2026 — Timah Partners today announced the appointment of Hsien Liang Yap as the second candidate in its CEO Succession Program (CSP). As Southeast Asia’s first dedicated CEO program for SMEs, the CSP is designed to develop a new generation of business leaders capable of stewarding enduring SMEs over the long term while preserving their legacies.

Yap joins Timah after more than eight years at Sequoia Capital India & Southeast Asia (rebranded as Peak XV Partners in 2023), where he served as Vice President in a strategic development role. During his tenure, he worked with portfolio companies across Southeast Asia and India on operational and growth priorities. Earlier in his career, he worked in equity research at Goldman Sachs and Bank of America Merrill Lynch in Singapore. He holds a double degree in Accountancy and Business Management from Singapore Management University, where he graduated summa cum laude with a perfect GPA, and has completed programmes at the Wharton School and the University of Cambridge.

Yap joins Kelvin Ho, the program’s first candidate, who has been with the firm since August 2025 and is progressing toward an operating leadership role within one of Timah’s portfolio companies.

Yap said his interest in the role was shaped not only by his professional background, but also by what he observed growing up. His father spent decades as an SME banker, and many of the business owners in that community faced the difficult question of what would happen when they were ready to step back. That exposure gave him an early appreciation for how personal and consequential succession can be.

“Over time, I found myself increasingly drawn to the question of what happens to a strong business when its founder is ready to step away,” said Yap. “Through my father’s work as an SME banker, I saw how common and how deeply personal that issue can be for business owners and their families. Timah’s CEO Succession Program offers the opportunity to learn the business from the ground up, earn a founder’s trust over time, and help carry a company forward responsibly. That is work I find deeply meaningful.”

“Hsien Liang brings a rare combination of operating judgment, analytical discipline, long-term orientation and genuine humility,” said Dennis Chua, Founder and CEO of Timah Partners. “He has spent years working closely with founders and operators, and he understands both the responsibility and privilege of taking over a founder-led business. We are honoured to have him join the program.”

Timah’s CEO Succession Program (CSP)

Successful CSP candidates undergo a multi-stage journey that takes up to three years to complete, beginning with M&A exposure at the holding company level, followed by operational apprenticeship under a sitting CEO, and culminating in full business leadership where they will take over the reins of a high-quality B2B SME.

CSP candidates receive competitive compensation, full benefits, and a clear line-of-sight to the CEO seat, de-risking the transition to SME leadership. Equity ownership also provides a long-term path to wealth creation, while a decentralised, high-autonomy model ensures candidates have the freedom to lead while benefiting from central support.

Candidates also gain access to Timah’s board and advisory group, which includes current and former leaders from DBS, JTC Corporation, the Singapore Land Authority, Sea, Grab, Quantedge, Union Energy, and a former elected Member of Parliament. Together with Timah’s permanent capital base, this gives CSP candidates the support and staying power to build and compound over the long term.

Timah Partners acquires high-quality, essential, recurring-revenue B2B businesses in the S$2 to 10 million EBITDA range, including in sectors such as waste management, landscaping, and fire protection. Yap’s appointment follows Timah Partners’ US$50 million Series A round in June 2025. The round was backed by founders of iconic holding companies like TransDigm, Danaher, and 3G Capital, as well as veteran investors from firms such as Insight Partners, Norwest, TCV, and Tiger Global.