DBS Bank’s group head of Consumer Banking and Wealth Management Tan Su Shan has been named the world’s Best Leader in Private Banking at the PWM/The Banker Global Private Banking Awards. This is the first time a Singaporean banker has won the award. DBS Bank also was adjudged as the Best Private Bank in Use of Technology, and the Best Private Bank in Singapore for the fifth year running at the awards ceremony in Geneva. Yuri Bender, editor-in-chief of PWM at Financial Times Group, said although Tan Su Shan has had a high profile in Singapore for many years, it was felt that her time has finally come, particularly regarding her leading role in the acquisition of the Asian private banking business of French bank Societe Generale. DBS recently completed the acquisition of the French bank, increasing its high net worth assets under management and assets under management for all wealth customers to S$88 billion and S$129 billion, respectively. As for its win in the use of technology category, Bender said DBS received plaudits for its innovations because of the way it has observed and adapted ideas pioneered in other Asian banks and non-financial companies. One example of this is the use of IBM’s Watson technology to bring artificial intelligence into the field of wealth management.
