01 May 2026“As I sat there, at the end of a one-hour interview for a new leadership role in the bank, I knew I had to drop this “little bomb”. It would be obvious soon enough.
Taking a deep breath, I said, “I’m actually very early in my pregnancy for number three.”
It was 2021, I was in my fourth year at DBS and speaking to our Group Head of Strategy and Planning for a Chief of Staff role.
He paused – I could tell he wasn’t expecting it.
Then he collected himself and said calmly, “That’s no reason to say no to anyone.”
Almost immediately, he pulled out his calendar. We started working through timelines – when I might be due, how things could be structured and what needed to happen in the months ahead.
This new role was not my first – or last – role change at DBS. In my nine years at the bank, I’ve moved multiple times, from Partnerships to Transaction Banking to Group Planning to Home Financing, and now, I’m leading Deposits and Secured Lending in the Consumer Banking Group in Singapore.
Still, this memory has stayed with me, in part because it affirmed my “gut feel” of the bank when I first joined as a new mum.
I had noticed that many of the women in senior leadership roles across the bank were also mothers. It made me feel that this was a place where women could do meaningful work, grow into leadership and still have a family too.
So even as I tackled the various learning curves with each new role I took, not once did I feel that being a mother was a reason to not step forward.
The work continued and so did the opportunities.
Somewhere along the way, I realised that my two roles, as a leader at work, and as a mother at home, were shaping each other.
Managing the everyday logistics of raising a young family – from managing classes and calendars to homework to spending consistent quality time – was tough but it taught me how to prioritise, stay present and adapt quickly when things don’t go as planned. Dealing with conflict among the kids was a regular affair, and that taught me how to listen better, manage differing opinions, reset and move forward.
More importantly, my experiences have made me better at serving our customers.
Today, I lead a team of more than 250. Our work is deeply embedded in our customers’ everyday milestones. We offer products and solutions that support people through different stages of life – from deposit accounts, Child Development Account (CDA) for newborns and Smart Buddy that help children build financial literacy, to mortgages for their very first home or loans for a new car for their expanding family. The list goes on.
Across my team, many of us are navigating similar life stages as our customers. Raising families, managing expenses, planning ahead. It means we don’t just design solutions from a product lens, but from a real understanding of what our customers are trying to balance every day.
Since young, I’ve always pictured myself following my mother’s footsteps. She has a fulfilling career and is a great mother at home. I’m thankful that I’ve found a workplace that empowers me to do exactly so.
- Chelsea Ling, Head of Deposits and Secured Lending, Consumer Banking Group
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