DBS Head of Institutional Banking, Jeanette Wong, among top 25 women in finance in Asia-Pacific

Singapore, 24 Jul 2015 - DBS’ Head of Institutional Banking, Ms Jeanette Wong, has been named as one of the top 25 women in finance across Asia-Pacific by regional financial trade magazine FinanceAsia.

Ms Wong is the only Singaporean banker featured in FinanceAsia’s 2015 honour roll of the most influential women in investment and commercial banking across Asia-Pacific. She was lauded as having led DBS’  thrust into growing its fee income business and building up its advisory and deal-making capabilities. She has also been instrumental in building DBS’ sustainable annuity business including cash management and trade finance to supplement the bank’s core lending business.

Ms Wong took over the reins of DBS’ institutional banking business in August 2008, at the brink of the global financial crisis. Despite the challenging environment then, DBS continued to leverage its strong balance sheet to extend credit lines to corporate customers, allowing the bank to cement many client relationships across Asia. She has since steered the business towards rising profitability by continuing to invest in building capabilities in key revenue-generating units such as global transaction services, as well as client and industry coverage.

Over the past few years, DBS’ has recorded successive quarters of strong earnings, with net profit rising to a record SGD 4.05 billion in 2014 on sustained income growth. DBS’ Institutional Banking Group, which banks over 200,000 institutional clients across Asia, accounted for more than 50% of the bank’s group income of SGD 9.62 billion last year.

DBS’ strategic advisory team did six large deals valued at more than SGD1 billion in 2014, compared to less than two a year from 2011 to 2013. This highlights the confidence corporate clients have in DBS to successfully advise and execute larger, more complex transactions across Asia.

The bank’s global transaction services business is today increasingly a regional business force, winning client business in trade, cash and custody. It was recently named Best Transaction Services House in Asia by Euromoney. It is the first time an Asian bank has won the prestigious award.

DBS is also making strides in building a leading regional SME business while continuing to maintain its leadership in syndicated finance, consistently topping the league tables for mandated arrangers in Southeast Asia and Singapore.

FinanceAsia, established since 1996 and part of the UK-based Haymarket Financial Media, provides coverage on Asia’s investment banking, capital markets and strategic corporate finance and is targeted at senior financial decision makers in the region.

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About DBS
DBS - Living, Breathing Asia
DBS is a leading financial services group in Asia, with over 280 branches across 18 markets. Headquartered and listed in Singapore, DBS has a growing presence in the three key Asian axes of growth: Greater China, Southeast Asia and South Asia. The bank's capital position, as well as "AA-" and "Aa1" credit ratings, is among the highest in Asia-Pacific. DBS has been recognised for its leadership in the region, having been named “Asia’s Best Bank” by The Banker, a member of the Financial Times group, and “Best Bank in Asia-Pacific” by Global Finance. The bank has also been named “Safest Bank in Asia” by Global Finance for six consecutive years from 2009 to 2014.

DBS provides a full range of services in consumer, SME and corporate banking activities across Asia. As a bank born and bred in Asia, DBS understands the intricacies of doing business in the region’s most dynamic markets. These market insights and regional connectivity have helped to drive the bank’s growth as it sets out to be the Asian bank of choice. DBS is committed to building lasting relationships with customers, and positively impacting communities through supporting social enterprises, as it banks the Asian way. It has also established a SGD 50 million foundation to strengthen its corporate social responsibility efforts in Singapore and across Asia.

With its extensive network of operations in Asia and emphasis on engaging and empowering its staff, DBS presents exciting career opportunities. The bank acknowledges the passion, commitment and can-do spirit in all of our 21,000 staff, representing over 40 nationalities. For more information, please visit www.dbs.com.