Why the CEO of Singapore's Sunningdale Tech, Koh Boon Hwee, fired himself

At Sunningdale Tech, Koh stepped down after four years in charge in 2008

Koh Boon Hwee overcame big crises during his four-decade career as a company executive. He led a national airline through the SARS epidemic in 2003 and steered Southeast Asia’s largest bank in the aftermath of the Lehman Brothers Holdings Inc. collapse.

But what the veteran Singapore entrepreneur, businessman and technology investor found most difficult was telling staff their time was up.

“People run out of steam or they allow themselves to be left behind,” Koh, who chaired the boards of some of Singapore’s most iconic firms before becoming a financier, said in an interview in the city-state. “I’ve got to talk to