The appointment reinforces the Bank’s continuous transformation and commitment to diversity and meritocracy
UOB Malaysia today announced that it will appoint Ms Ng Wei Wei as its first female Chief Executive Officer (CEO), effective 1 May 2022. She will succeed Mr Wong Kim Choong (KC), who will relinquish the position after leading the Bank since 2012. Mr Wong will take on a new role as Senior Adviser and will oversee the integration1 of Bank’s and Citi’s retail banking business2, until his planned retirement.
Ms Ng is a seasoned banker with broad experience and in-depth knowledge of the financial industry. In the earlier part of her career, from 2000 to 2006, she honed her banking skills and developed her core values at UOB Malaysia. Following various leadership roles at global financial institutions in Malaysia and Hong Kong, she returned to UOB Malaysia in 2019 as Managing Director and Country Head of Wholesale Banking, before assuming the role of Deputy CEO in 2021. She has been instrumental in growing UOB Malaysia’s Wholesale Banking franchise, and advancing the Bank’s strategic priorities including its Environment, Social and Governance, and innovation agenda, as well as supporting its customers to expand regionally by tapping on the Bank’s connectivity, expertise and capabilities.
Mr Wee Ee Cheong, Deputy Chairman and Group CEO, UOB said, “I would like to thank KC for his years of strong leadership and to congratulate Wei Wei on her appointment as CEO of UOB Malaysia. Wei Wei’s appointment reflects our firm belief in the importance and benefits of diversity as we anticipate customer needs in an increasingly complex, changing and volatile environment.
“KC retires with a track record of advancing the Bank’s position in the areas of customer service, regional connectivity, innovation, and sustainability. I am confident that under Wei Wei’s leadership, UOB Malaysia will continue to scale greater heights as we support our customers to seize opportunities locally and across the region.”
Under Mr Wong’s leadership, UOB Malaysia has grown steadily to its strongest position yet, as the largest foreign bank in the country today. He will continue to contribute to the Bank’s growth though his role as Senior Adviser on the Citi consumer banking acquisition, one of the most significant corporate exercises for UOB in recent times.
1Please see UOB news release: ‘UOB Group to Acquire Citigroup’s Consumer Business in Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand and Vietnam’, 14 January 2022
2Subject to receiving Bank Negara Malaysia’s approval
