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Calvin Cheng
Born
Calvin Cheng Ern Lee[1]

(1975-09-24) 24 September 1975 (age 48)
SingaporeSingapore
Alma materOxford University
Occupations

Calvin Cheng Ern Lee is a former Nominated Member of Parliament (NMP) in Singapore, and is an entrepreneur in the media and fashion modelling industry in Asia. He has held senior roles in Elite Model Management and Ford Models. He sits on several media advisory boards in Singapore, and is the managing partner of the first China-focused media fund located outside China.

Life and career

Early life and education

Cheng graduated from Oxford University (Hertford College) in the United Kingdom, with a Master of Arts in Philosophy, Politics and Economics, and a Master of Science in Management.[1]

Career in fashion

From 2003 to 2004[citation needed], Cheng was the regional head of Elite Model Management for Asia-Pacific,[3][4][5], a US$100 million dollar modelling agency. Following his appointment, the 2003 Elite Model Look International modelling competition finals were held in Singapore, the second time in 21 years that the event was held in Asia.[6]. The Elite Model Look competition is notable for having helped start the careers of supermodels such as Cindy Crawford and Giselle Bundchen. For two years, Cheng oversaw the organisation of Elite Model competitions in China[7]Cite error: A <ref> tag is missing the closing </ref> (see the help page)., and Thailand[citation needed]. Cheng also oversaw the starting of an Rs 2 crore(equivalent to 292,000 U.S. dollars in 2016) Elite Modelling School in Delhi, with another to launch in Mumbai[8][9]. Cheng believed that white models were more likely to win in international modelling competitions and believed that Asians had to rely on stereotypical "Lucy Liu" looks.[10] He also cites financial reasons for the lack of Asia supermodels[11].

In 2005 Cheng became the president of the Association of Modelling Industry Professionals, an association founded that year by 11 modelling agencies[12]. Cheng oversaw the institution of a minimum price guideline, increasing going rates of models from $200 to $400 for a fashion show and from $150 to $200 for a photoshoot[13]. The association and Cheng later came under criticism for price-fixing from The Competition Commission of Singapore, which noted that the agencies involved had intentionally or unintentionally enriched themselves by collecting a heftier commission on the model's increased rates, and fined the agencies that had remained in the cartel after the Competition Act came into effect, including Cheng[14]. Responding to the debacle on his personal blog, Cheng accused the government of using the price-fixing charges to get even with the association, claiming that the increased rates had squeezed Government-linked media giants of SPH and Mediacorp for model shoots, and the Government-backed Singapore Fashion Week and Singapore Fashion Festival for fashion shows. Cheng wrote, "Therefore in summary, the biggest 'clients' that were 'adversely affected' by our 'price-fixing' (which increased the wages of poor young people), was not some poor man on the street, but government owned media monopolies and government agencies themselves." [15]

Cheng is the Founding Director of Lumina-Looque International,[16][17] Director of Looque Models and President of John Robert Powers China.[1]

Looque Models has managed Asian celebrities such as Sara Malakul Lane,[18] Amber Chia.,[19] Lisa S and Maike Evers [20]

Lumina-Looque also owns events group Lumina Live which organises events for luxury brands such as Dior, Ferragamo and Zegna, as well as leading youth magazine JUICE.[21]

Career in media

At the end of 2014, it was announced that Cheng, together with one of the largest media groups in China, Nasdaq-listed Bona Film Group, launched a $100 million media fund to invest in China media sector.[22] Cheng said "The Chinese media market is the fastest growing media market in the world, and within a few short years, it has almost caught up with the US and is now the second largest box-office market in the world," he said. "Because the Internet market in China is also very developed, the convergence of media is very advanced in China. So we see huge opportunities, not only in film and TV content, but the entire media value chain."

Cheng also sits on the Media Literacy Council of Singapore's Ministry of Communications and Information.,[23] and the Advisory Board of Singapore's Media Development Authority's Singapore Media Festival.[24] Previously, Cheng also served on the Supervisory Council of the Government's Feedback arm, REACH.[25]

Achievements and appointments

In August 2005, Cheng was featured in Singapore's 40th independence day official commemorative video as one of 40 outstanding Singaporeans under 40.[26]

Cheng was on the Council of the Singapore Red Cross Society from 2009 to 2011.[27]

In 2009, Cheng was honoured as a Young Global Leader by the World Economic Forum,[28] and inducted into the Forum of Young Global Leaders,[29] one of five to be chosen from Singapore.[30]

In July 2009, Cheng was appointed a Nominated Member of Parliament in Singapore.[2]

In 2010, Cheng was appointed the President of John Robert Powers for China, the world's largest model training and development school.[31]

In 2011, Cheng was appointed the franchisee for Ford Models Supermodel of the World for Singapore, Malaysia and China.[32][33] In the same year, Cheng was appointed to the Board of Screen Singapore, Singapore's premier cinema event.[34]

In 2014, Cheng was appointed to the Advisory Board of the newly formed Singapore Media Festival.[35] At the inaugural Singapore Media Festival in December 2014, it was announced that Cheng, together with China media tycoon Yu Dong, launched a US$100 million fund to invest in China's media industry.[36][37]

References

  1. ^ a b c "CV-Calvin Cheng". Parliament of Singapore. Archived from the original on 19 January 2011.
  2. ^ a b Abdullah Tarmugi (Speaker), "Nominated Members of Parliament (Announcement by Mr Speaker)", Singapore Parliamentary Debates, Official Report (20 July 2009), vol. 86, col. 798; Clarissa Oon; Jeremy Au Yong (7 July 2009), "Panel submits names of nine new NMPs", The Straits Times, pp. A1, A4; Loh Chee Kong; Ong Dai Lin (7 July 2009), "A brand new slate: A unionist, a vocal sociologist, a former swim queen among the names unveiled", Today, pp. 1, 4, archived from the original on 15 July 2009.
  3. ^ "'We'll identify & train new faces'".
  4. ^ "The Global Makeover".
  5. ^ "Eyes of the beholder".
  6. ^ smh. "Elite Model Chooses Singapore as the Venue for its International Finals". asiatraveltips.com.
  7. ^ "Chinese models in spotlight".
  8. ^ "'Elite Model Management launches school in India'". agencyfaq.
  9. ^ "'We'll identify & train new faces'". timesofindia-economictimes.
  10. ^ Suzanne Sng (6 November 2003). "Asia's Elite Corps". The Straits Times.
  11. ^ "Eyes of the beholder". chinadaily.com.cn.
  12. ^ "Agencies which fixed prices had 'noble goals'". The Straits Times.
  13. ^ "Agencies which fixed prices had 'noble goals'". asiaone.com.
  14. ^ "The Straits Times". The Straits Times.
  15. ^ Calvin Cheng. "Beyond The Emotive". beyondtheemotive.blogspot.sg.
  16. ^ "http://web.archive.org/web/20080308092921/http://newpaper.asia1.com.sg/printfriendly/0,4139,89812,00.html". {{cite web}}: External link in |title= (help)
  17. ^ "Nine global media industry professionals joins Singapore Media Festival Advisory Board". Media Development Authority Singapore. 16 June 2014. Retrieved 23 November 2015.
  18. ^ http://www.asiaone.com/Just%2BWoman/News/High%2BLife/Story/A1Story20070612-14448.html
  19. ^ http://justwoman.asiaone.com/Just%2BWoman/News/High%2BLife/Story/A1Story20070612-14447.html
  20. ^ "Looque". looque.com.sg.
  21. ^ "Lumina Looque International". lumina-looque.com.
  22. ^ Nancy Tartaglione. "Bona Film Group Chairman Launches $100M China Media Fund In Singapore - Deadline". Deadline.
  23. ^ "Media Literacy Council Members".
  24. ^ http://www.mda.gov.sg/Documents/News/2014/Annex%20A_Singapore%20Media%20Festival%20Advisory%20Board%20Members.pdf
  25. ^ http://www.reach.gov.sg/portals/0/MediaRelease/REACH%20MEDIA%20RELEASE%20New%20REACH%20Supervisory%20Panel%20%28Web%29.pdf
  26. ^ "40 TODAY: National Day Video 2005". mindef.gov.sg.
  27. ^ http://www.redcross.org.sg/wp-content/uploads/2011/05/Minutes_of_SRC_AGM_held_on_24_June_2009.pdf
  28. ^ "Young Global Leader Honorees 2009" (PDF). World Economic Forum. Retrieved 23 November 2015.
  29. ^ "The Forum of Young Global Leaders". The Forum of Young Global Leaders - World Economic Forum.
  30. ^ "S'pore 5 on list of young global leaders". asiaone.com.
  31. ^ "John Robert Powers to open in China".
  32. ^ "Archives". thestar.com.my.
  33. ^ http://www.thesundaily.my/news/fashion/model-search
  34. ^ http://www.screensingapore.com.sg/about-screensingapore/board-of-screensingapore/
  35. ^ http://finance.yahoo.com/news/nine-global-media-industry-professionals-084200404.html
  36. ^ http://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/business/singapore/tembusu-calvin-cheng-set/1521724.html
  37. ^ "China tycoon ties up with Singapore firm, entrepreneur to launch US$100-million media fund". Yahoo Singapore Finance. 10 December 2014.
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