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Friday, January 8, 2021 – 5:56 pm
O39 has appointed Helen Wong as its new Group Chief Executive Officer (CEO) effective April 15.
Wong replaces Samuel Tsien, who will retire after 14 years at the bank, nine of which were CEO of the group, the lender said in a statement on Friday. Having significantly built the OCBC franchise into a “much more diversified and resilient” business, Tsien will retire on April 14.
Ms. Wong will be the first female CEO of OCBC and also the first woman to run a Singapore bank.
Ms. Wong joined OCBC in February of last year as Vice President and Head of Global Wholesale Banking. He began his banking career with OCBC in 1984 and was its first desk manager in China.
OCBC Chairman Ooi Sang Kuang said the appointment marks the board’s focus on succession planning and talent management, which are critical aspects of good corporate governance.
The appointment was the result of a “rigorous global search” for the highest qualified candidate who embodies both the ability to “redefine” OCBC’s strategy in light of the bank’s challenges and opportunities and core values.
“We had screened candidates internally at OCBC and within and outside of Singapore before agreeing to Helen as the highest rated person. Helen’s experiences and knowledge extend beyond corporate banking, Greater China and North Asia. She also led a major banking operation by a Bank as CEO of Greater China, including Hong Kong, before joining OCBC. We are confident that Helen will be able to take the OCBC Group to greater heights in an increasingly complex and challenging environment, “said the Mr. Ooi.
OCBC shares closed higher from S $ 0.41 to S $ 10.73 on Friday.
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