Three Directors Resign from Millennium & Copthorne Hotels Amid Kwek Family Boardroom Feud

Gate News message, April 22 — Three directors have resigned from Millennium & Copthorne Hotels, a UK-incorporated subsidiary of Singapore developer City Developments, marking the latest development in a corporate shakeup triggered by an internal family dispute. Jennifer Duong Young, Daniel Desbaillets, and Wong Ai Ai each served on the hotel unit’s board for just over a year after being appointed in February 2025.

The three were among six directors installed in a move widely viewed as an attempt to dilute the influence of family patriarch Kwek Leng Beng, who chairs the parent company. Their appointment sparked a rare public clash within the Kwek family, during which the patriarch accused his son and CEO Sherman Kwek of orchestrating a boardroom coup and subsequently filed a lawsuit. However, the patriarch’s legal action was eventually dropped following a reconciliation with his son, and key adviser Catherine Wu departed the hotel unit. A company spokesperson stated the directors were appointed “to strengthen governance at a key subsidiary” and are stepping down “with this now largely addressed.”

City Developments is currently undertaking a strategic review expected to conclude by mid-2026 as the firm seeks to rebuild investor confidence. Singapore’s strong property market has supported a recovery in the company’s share price.