He is the first naval officer to serve as Chief of Defence Force, and the first to hold the rank of Vice-Admiral in the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF).

His father, Arthur Beng Kian Lam, was the Member of Parliament (MP) for Fengshan SMC between 1984 and 1988 for the ruling People's Action Party.

Upon his graduation from Hwa Chong Institution in 1999, Beng was awarded the President’s Scholarship and the Singapore Armed Forces Overseas Scholarship[2] to study at Yale University, where he majored in economics and electrical engineering sciences, and graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree.

[2] Beng was appointed Fleet Commander in March 2019, before his appointment as Chief of Staff – Naval Staff in November 2019.

Beng was appointed Chief of Defence Force on 24 March 2023.