Dr Vivian Balakrishnan is Singapore’s Minister for Foreign Affairs. He previously served as the Minister-in-charge of the Smart Nation Initiative; Minister for the Environment and Water Resources; Minister for Community Development, Youth and Sports; Second Minister for Trade and Industry; Minister-in-charge of Entrepreneurship; Second Minister for Information, Communications and the Arts and Minister of State for National Development.

Before becoming a Member of Parliament in 2001, he was Chief Executive Officer of Singapore General Hospital. He became Medical Director of Singapore National Eye Centre in 1999. He studied Medicine at the National University of Singapore after being awarded the President’s Scholarship in 1980.