Prominent Singapore banker Theresa Foo, born in 1944, was chairman of The Esplanade Co Ltd from 2005 to 2014. Internationally recognised in the financial world, her tireless contributions to the arts have made her a well-loved and celebrated arts patron. She was named Champion of the Arts in 2001, and received the Public Service Star at the National Day Awards in 2008. Her banking achievements include being the first female vice president of Bank of America (Singapore) and the first Asian female chief executive of Standard Chartered Bank (Singapore).

Growing up, Theresa Foo’s first experience of the arts was her piano lessons that she took as a young girl. Through them, she grew to learn to appreciate Western classical music, and she would later on attend concerts by the Singapore Symphony Orchestra (SSO) regularly.

While pursuing her career in international banking, she deepened her involvement with the arts by joining the SSO Ladies' League, which was a group of female music lovers who raised significant funds for the orchestra. Foo joined the league in 1987, and served as its vice chairlady from Aug 1990 to Aug 1991. Together with the other members, she actively raised funds for the orchestra through an imaginative variety of activities. The Ladies' League efforts have been instrumental in many ways, including the installation of a pipe organ in the Victoria Concert Hall where the SSO calls its home, giving orchestra staff the opportunity to receive overseas training, and in general, making the concert hall a more pleasant and conducive place for musicians to work in.

Foo’s time with the Ladies' League was especially meaningful. Here, she discovered the importance of being able to appreciate art. She discovered that art can be beneficial and also enrich a person’s life. She also realised that the arts cannot survive without the support of the community. These fuelled her passion for arts advocacy. Foo would serve in the Ladies' League for 4 years.

In 1997, Foo was invited to join the board of The Esplanade Co Ltd, helping to guide and oversee the building of and the beginnings of a new national arts centre. In 2005, she became its chairman, and served in this role up to 2014. Foo’s leadership has seen Esplanade – Theatres on the Bay grow into a world-class arts centre for everyone that receives several million visitors annually—a majority of whom are Singaporeans from all walks of life who come to enjoy a variety of arts performances and the centre’s scenic location.

As recognition for her contributions to the arts, Foo was named Champion of the Arts in 2001. In 2008, she received the Bintang Bakti Masyarakat (Public Service Star) at the National Day Awards. In 2014, she received the Friends of MCCY award from the Ministry of Culture, Community and Youth.

Foo is currently chairperson of Gardens by the Bay as well as the Singapore Business Federation Foundation.