Dr Lai joined the board on 27 May 2008 as an Independent Director and was re-designated to Non-Independent Non-Executive Director on 30 October 2012. He was last re-elected as a Director of the Company on 28 April 2022. He is also a member of the Audit Committee and
Remuneration Committee.

Dr Lai was also a Board member of SJ-Arup-Mott Mac (SAM), Architecture Management, Surbana Jurong Consultants Pte Ltd since 1 October 2022. Prior to that, he was the CEO of SJ architecture, the architecture arm of Surbana Jurong.

Dr Lai has been an active contributor in the industry, serving on several of Building and Construction Authority (BCA)’s Committees such as the Construction Best Practice, Structural Robustness and the International Panel of Experts on Construction Productivity and BIM.
He was also a member of the BCA and Singapore Land Authority Boards and BCA Academy Advisory Panel and Pro-Enterprise Panel for Singapore Government. In December 2019, he was appointed Co-Opted Member of Changi Airport Group (CAG) Executive Committee on Airport Development (ECAD) and in October 2020, he was appointed Co-Opted Board Committee member of SingHealth Eastern Project Committee.

For his contribution to the nation through his service on the Strata Titles Board, the Ministry of National Development conferred upon him the Meritorious Service Award (Pingat Bakti Masyarakat) in 2011. He was also conferred the Public Service Star (Bintang Bakti Masyarakat) in 2018, a national recognition for his invaluable contributions to the Building and Construction Authority.

Dr Lai was conferred an Honorary Degree of Doctor of Engineering by his alma mater, The University of Sheffield, at the University’s Degree Congregation ceremony on 19 October 2022.