DBS banker counted among region's best

DBS Bank's head of institutional banking has been named one of the top 25 women in the Asia-Pacific's financial sector by regional magazine FinanceAsia.

Ms Jeanette Wong, 55, is the only Singapore banker honoured among women in investment and commercial banking across the Asia-Pacific.

This is the second time she has made it to the list, having been on it when the magazine last put out an honour roll of the top 20 women in Asia's financial sector in 2011.

Most of the other women who received the accolade this time are from global banking giants like Goldman Sachs and Citi.

The list includes women in the new area of financial technology such as Ms Lucy Peng of Ant Financial, an affiliate of Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba.

The magazine lauded Ms Wong for leading DBS' efforts in growing its fee income business and building up its advisory and deal-making capabilities.

"She has also been instrumental in building its sustainable annuity business, including cash management and trade finance, to supplement the bank's core lending business," said the magazine.

Ms Wong took up her role in August 2008 in the midst of the global financial crisis. She was DBS' chief financial officer from 2003 to 2008, and spent 16 years at JP Morgan before that.

Under her charge, the bank's institutional banking business expanded at a compound annual growth rate of 13 per cent from 2009 to 2014. She oversees the bank's portfolio of 15 markets, and 3,500 employees, covering a wide range of sectors, including real estate, financial institutions, commodities, and food and beverage.

The group has around 200,000 institutional clients across Asia, and they accounted for more than 50 per cent of the bank's income of $9.62 billion last year.

Ms Wong thinks her inclusion in the top 25 list is a testimony to the bank's progress over the years.

"I am really heartened as DBS' focus on clients and 'banking the Asian way' has resonated with many of our clients with businesses in Asia - both large corporations and SMEs (small and medium- sized enterprises)," she said.

kohping@sph.com.sg

This article was first published on July 25, 2015.
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