Singapore-based lender OCBC has appointed Wang Ke as chief executive officer for its Hong Kong entity, effective December 15. He replaces Ivy Au-Yeung, who retires on December 31.
Wang was appointed head of Greater China on November 1, covering the banking subsidiaries in Hong Kong, mainland China and Macau. OCBC China CEO Ang Eng Siong and OCBC Macau CEO Kelvin Lou will report to Wang.
The bank says the consolidated leadership reflects the drive to solidify its collective strengths in the region, and capture the trade, investment and wealth flows between Greater China and Asean.
The “One Group” approach is one of the eight core pillars of the bank’s corporate strategy that was refreshed in 2022, OCBC says. In Asean, OCBC services the top seven markets – via locally-incorporated banking and insurance subsidiaries, and bank branches and offices – which contribute to over 98% of the region’s economic growth. The three banking subsidiaries in Greater China have more than 4,600 staff across 66 branches and offices.
Wang served as chief executive of OCBC Wing Hang China from December 2019 to October 2023. OCBC Wing Hang China is now known as OCBC China (the brand name) after obtaining regulatory approval to change its legal name and brand on November 24.
Wang joined the OCBC Group in 2012 as head of information technology in China and expanded his responsibilities to include operations in 2014. He was appointed head of the Pearl River Delta region in 2017, then assumed the position of CEO of OCBC Wing Hang China in 2019.
Under his leadership, critical technology infrastructure and capabilities were built up. These included a new data centre setup and the successful implementation of the China core banking system within 14 months. OCBC Wing Hang China’s profit has more than doubled since 2019 despite the pandemic.
Ivy Au-Yeung was appointed the CEO of OCBC Wing Hang Hong Kong in 2021, having joined the bank in 2019 as deputy chief executive. She was instrumental in the formulation and implementation of the Greater China strategic plan, as well as the successful integration of OCBC Hong Kong branch with OCBC Wing Hang Hong Kong in 2021.
OCBC Wing Hang Hong Kong was renamed and rebranded as OCBC Hong Kong on July 3 2023, under Au-Yeung’s guidance and management.
