UOB Malaysia appoints Ng Wei Wei as its first female CEO

UOB Malaysia has appointed Ng Wei Wei as its first female chief executive officer (CEO), effective 1 May 2022. 

She will succeed Wong Kim Choong (KC), who will relinquish the position after leading the bank since 2012. Wong will take on a new role as senior adviser and will oversee the integration of bank’s and Citi’s retail banking business, until his planned retirement.

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.

“I am truly humbled and honoured with this appointment. If anyone had told me more than 2 decades ago when I first started my banking career that one day, I will be entrusted to lead the largest foreign bank in Malaysia, I would not have imagined it! UOB is a great institution which always takes a long-term view on things and consistently does right by its customers, employees and stakeholders. Our people are our strongest assets & strength. I am excited by the journey ahead to lead such a fantastic franchise, building on its strong values and successes harnessed over the past 70 years in Malaysia and over 80 years in the region,” Ng wrote in her social media post.

“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,” said Wee Ee Cheong, deputy chairman and chief executive officer, UOB Group.

“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.”