Bank of Singapore veteran to lead Dubai business amid UHNW push

Bank of Singapore has appointed veteran private banker Lim Leong Guan to lead its Middle East, South Asia and international business, as the bank accelerates growth in the ultra-high-net-worth (UHNW) segment.

On 1 July 2026, Lim  will assume the role as head of private banking, Middle East, South Asia and International. Based in Dubai, he will also be chief executive of the Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC) Branch, subject to regulatory approval.

According to Capgemini Research Institute’s World Wealth Report 2026, the UHNW population expanded 9.4% in 2025, making it the fastest-growing wealth segment for the second consecutive year. Given this backdrop, Bank of Singapore aims for 30% growth in UHNW assets under management (AUM) globally by 2028.

Lim, together with Rickie Chan and Vi Sun Yang, will accelerate the UHNW growth push. Chan is head of private banking, Greater China and North Asia, and chief executive, Hong Kong Branch. As previously announced by the bank, Vi Sun Yang will join Bank of Singapore as head of private banking, ASEAN on 29 June 2026.

Lim’s 35-year career has been dedicated to private banking, with experience spanning front office, investment products and wealth advisory. Since joining Bank of Singapore in 2020, he has been an anchor member and one of the most experienced in its Management Committee. In Dubai, besides leading the UHNW push, he will drive transformational change to further unlock the market’s long-term growth potential.

Lim has a strong track record of accelerating growth across regional and global businesses with visionary leadership. This includes shaping Bank of Singapore’s dedicated Financial Intermediaries (FIMs) team into one of the fastest-growing segments for the bank. Since 2024, as global head of financial intermediaries, family office and wealth advisory, Lim has led the team to more than double AUM in the FIMs segment in two years.

Among his other accomplishments in the family office and wealth advisory space, he more than doubled revenue from insurance referrals and led strategic initiatives, including the Bank of Singapore Family Office Catalyst. Launched in 2025, this offering caters to UHNW individuals seeking to adopt a set-up that facilitates the professionalisation of their wealth management and which could eventually evolve into a single-family office. Lim is concurrently the interim global head of the investment solutions group.

Lim joined Bank of Singapore as global head of products. Prior to that, he spent 25 years at UBS Wealth Management, where he held senior management roles including Asia-Pacific head of wealth planning and Singapore head of investment products and services.

With Lim’s appointment, Annabelle Chow, head of financial intermediaries, will be the global segment lead for the FIM business and be responsible for driving the bank’s strategy and proposition for the segment. Chow will report to Yang.

Chow joined the bank in 2016 and has been instrumental in building up its FIMs business with Lim. In line with strong business growth in the last three years, the size of the FIMs team led by Chow tripled across Singapore, Hong Kong and Dubai.

Chow has also spearheaded innovative solutions, including alternative investment digital platform FIM Alternatives Select, which was a collaboration with leading global fintech iCapital. The platform, which is available to the bank’s FIM partners, also known as Independent Asset Managers, provides access to over 1,600 funds from over 600 asset managers.

Chow has 20 years of private banking experience, including stops at Barclays Wealth in Asia, where she was instrumental in setting up the FIMs desk, and Credit Suisse AG where she covered family offices of UHNW clients in Hong Kong and eventually built up the team to expand Credit Suisse’s presence in the Asia FIMs segment.

Jason Moo, chief executive officer of Bank of Singapore, said, “LG is a seasoned private banker with a proven track record and is one of our most experienced management committee members. Appointing him to lead the Dubai team underscores its importance as a key hub alongside Singapore and Hong Kong.

“Together with Rickie and Vi Sun, LG has a strong mandate to drive our UHNW strategy, which is a critical component for the bank’s next phase of growth. Adopting this market-led model for our UHNW strategy will help us to quickly and decisively grow this business. I have every confidence in their ability to capture opportunities in their respective markets. The FIM business also continues to be in good hands, led by Annabelle. Her experience and acumen position her well to grow the business, which, alongside the UHNW segment, is a key driver for the bank.”

Re-disseminated by Wealth and Society