Born in Singapore on 9 February 1959, Mr Gan is married with two daughters. He received his education in Catholic High School and National Junior College. He was then awarded the Overseas Merit Scholarship to read Engineering in Cambridge University and graduated with a Bachelor degree (Honours) in 1981. Mr Gan subsequently obtained his Master’s Degree in Engineering from Cambridge University in 1985.

He joined the Administrative Service in 1983 and served as Assistant Director in the Ministry of Trade and Industry overseeing domestic trade. He was subsequently promoted to Deputy Director for International Trade in 1987 before being posted to Ministry of Home Affairs as Assistant Head of Research in 1989.

Mr Gan left the Administrative Service in 1989 for the private sector. He joined NatSteel Ltd (then known as National Iron and Steel Mills) as a manager for Corporate Planning. He was promoted to Executive Vice President of NatSteel and CEO of NatSteel Resorts International and NatSteel Properties in 1996. He became the CEO and President of NatSteel in 2005.

In 2001, Mr Gan became a Member of Parliament for the Holland-Bukit Panjang GRC following the General Elections. Subsequently, Mr Gan stood in Chua Chu Kang SMC during the 2006 General Elections and won.

He served as a member of the Remaking Singapore Committee and a member of the Public Accounts Committee in 2002. He was also the Chairman for the Government Parliamentary Committee for Education in 2005. Mr Gan was co-opted into the Central Executive Committee of the People’s Action Party (PAP) in December 2008, and also serves as the Second Organising Secretary of the party.

Mr Gan was appointed Minister of State for Education and Minister of State for Manpower concurrently in 2005. He was promoted to Acting Minister for Manpower in April 2008 and to full Minister in April 2009.

He currently leads various national committees, including the Tripartite Committee on Employability of Older Workers, the Tripartite Panel on Community Engagement at Workplaces and also serves as Advisor of the Tripartite Alliance for Fair Employment Practices.

April 2009