DBS names new heads of operations, and corporate and SME banking

SINGAPORE’S largest lender DBS named on Tuesday (Feb 18) its two picks for the group head of its corporate and SME banking unit, as well as its group head of operations.

The current Singapore head of corporate banking, Chen Ze Ling, is due to succeed Koh Kar Siong as group head of corporate and SME banking from Apr 1 – the same day Koh takes over as head of group audit.

Koh was bumped up to replace predecessor Derrick Goh, who is to assume the newly created role of group chief operating officer (COO), as announced by the bank in the week prior.

Chen will report to Han Kwee Juan, group head of institutional banking.

DBS noted in its statement that Chen, who has been with the bank since 2008, holds more than two decades of experience in banking across geographies. Before his current role, he was country head of DBS Australia, a role he assumed in 2019.

He earlier held relationship coverage responsibilities for large institutional clients in the energy, power and utility sectors in Singapore, and in other markets in South-east Asia as well.

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Separately, the present head of institutional banking operations and international centres technology and operations, Welson Jamin, will be appointed group head of operations from Apr 1. He will report to Goh, the new group COO.

DBS noted Jamin’s 25 years of technology and operations experience with the bank, and described him as “instrumental” in driving organisational transformation across 14 locations.

In recent years, he has led the transformation through the extensive use of workflows, the introduction of process improvements and the pioneering of generative artificial intelligence in operations, noted the bank.

DBS on Feb 12 had announced several senior-level appointments.