WRISE’s global wealth ambitions under new leadership

Global wealth creation is growing rapidly, especially among ultra-high-net-worth (UHNW) and high-net-worth (HNW) families in Asia and the Middle East. Yet the central challenge for wealth managers today is no longer access to opportunity, but execution across jurisdictions. Fragmented regulatory regimes, uneven operating standards and heightened geopolitical risk have exposed the limitations of both traditional private banking models and decentralised advisory platforms.

As families become more globally mobile and intergenerational, wealth management has shifted from a product-driven business to one defined by coordination — across borders, entities and generations. Firms expanding internationally face a structural tension: how to scale without losing regulatory control, governance consistency or client trust.

WRISE Group executive chairman Derrick Tan has responded to the evolving complexity of global wealth by strengthening the firm’s executive bench and expanding its presence across Asia and the Middle East. Rather than pursuing growth through decentralisation alone, WRISE has placed governance, regional integration and cross-border coordination at the centre of its strategy, positioning the firm as an independent platform capable of managing complexity without compromising control.

Traditional wealth management models face structural strain

Large private banks continue to benefit from balance sheet strength and global reach, but often struggle with product bias, siloed systems and inconsistent cross-border execution. Boutique advisory firms, by contrast, offer flexibility and independence but frequently lack the institutional controls required to operate seamlessly across jurisdictions.

 “Traditional private banking models continue to offer scale and balance sheet strength, but Tan argues they often struggle to deliver seamless, coordinated outcomes across jurisdictions. Independent advisory firms, while flexible and client-centric, face their own limitations when it comes to governance, compliance and execution at scale.”

This gap has widened as clients demand greater transparency, flexibility and coordination. “Macroeconomic volatility, geopolitical tensions and technological disruption are reshaping wealth management,” Tan said. “Clients demand seamless cross-border solutions — and that exposes the limits of models built around either scale or independence alone.”

The challenge, he added, is building an operating model that combines institutional discipline with advisory flexibility — without introducing execution risk.

Global wealth trends: opportunity versus complexity

Asia and the Middle East are experiencing rapid UHNW population growth, alongside large-scale intergenerational wealth transfers. Families are increasingly global in both assets and lifestyle, yet remain focused on legacy, philanthropy and enterprise continuity.

While many firms promote “holistic wealth” offerings, delivering integrated solutions across jurisdictions remains difficult in practice. Regulatory constraints, entity-level silos and fragmented advisory teams often limit coordination.

Tan describes the current landscape as one defined by both opportunity and complexity. “Clients today expect holistic solutions that integrate wealth, health, legacy and purpose,” he said, underscoring the need for governance, regional insight and technology to work in concert rather than in parallel.

Strategic growth hubs in Asia and the Middle East

Wealth is concentrated in key hubs, each with distinct regulatory and operational characteristics. Singapore, WRISE’s global headquarters, offers legal predictability and access to Southeast Asian markets. Hong Kong serves as the primary offshore hub for Renminbi trading, providing deep capital markets and liquidity. 

In the Middle East, Dubai and Abu Dhabi attract family offices through supportive regulatory frameworks, with a projected $2 trillion generational wealth transfer over the next decade. A branch in Taipei is planned for early 2026, reflecting WRISE’s commitment to dynamic wealth-creation regions. Aligning operations with these hubs allows WRISE to combine local expertise with global reach, enabling cross-border opportunities while maintaining regulatory discipline.

Regional expansion remains one of the most common sources of execution failure in wealth management. Inconsistent compliance standards, uneven client experience and fragmented oversight can quickly undermine growth strategies.

WRISE’s leadership appointments are designed to mitigate these risks structurally. Darren Ng, group chief financial officer, leads financial strategy, while regional deputy chief executive officers — Jude Lin in Singapore, Pushkin Kapoor in the Middle East and Ken Wong in Hong Kong — are responsible for local execution within defined governance parameters.

“We maintain a consistent compliance framework while allowing teams flexibility to adapt to local regulations,” Tan said, highlighting the firm’s emphasis on execution discipline alongside growth.

The Middle East illustrates this approach. With Abu Dhabi Global Market and Dubai International Financial Centre attracting family offices and internationally mobile capital, the region offers significant opportunity but also heightened regulatory and reputational risk. By placing the region under dedicated leadership rather than satellite coverage, WRISE aims to balance opportunity capture with jurisdiction-specific oversight.

Geographic diversification across Asia and the Middle East also reduces concentration risk, allowing clients to rebalance assets in response to macroeconomic or geopolitical shifts while maintaining consistent advisory standards.

Client segmentation: scale versus customisation

Serving UHNW and HNW clients on a single platform presents inherent trade-offs. Over-customisation limits scalability, while excessive standardisation erodes relevance for complex family structures.

WRISE addresses this by segmenting its offerings across three business lines: WRISE Private focuses on UHNW families and family offices, providing wealth structuring, succession planning and intergenerational governance; WRISE Prestige serves HNW and emerging affluent clients with scalable portfolio and global investment solutions; and WRISE Capital bridges private wealth and institutional markets through corporate finance and advisory services, including mergers and acquisitions and initial public offerings.

This structure allows the firm to manage complexity without diluting service quality, while aligning advisory depth with client needs and operating risk.

Governance and financial infrastructure: control versus flexibility

Governance at WRISE is a structural choice rather than a by-product of growth. Tan said WRISE has established a dedicated compliance team to maintain a single control framework across markets, while local execution adjusts to regulatory requirements

Under chief financial officer Ng, financial oversight, risk management and compliance are centralised across Singapore, Hong Kong, Dubai and other jurisdictions to maintain execution certainty and regulatory consistency as the firm scales.

“This approach prioritises consistency over speed. Tan said financial oversight, risk management and compliance are centralised to maintain execution certainty across markets, while local teams retain flexibility to adapt where regulatory requirements differ. Regional deputy CEOs in Singapore, Hong Kong and the Middle East remain responsible for delivery within clearly defined governance parameters.”

The model prioritises consistency over speed. As geographic and organisational complexity increases, whether this governance-led structure can continue to sustain advisory depth and client trust will be a key test of its long-term effectiveness.

Technology in wealth management

Technology is a core enabler of how WRISE operates across markets, supporting both execution resilience and client experience. Tan said the firm has strengthened its digital foundation through AI-enabled cybersecurity, internal knowledge systems and workflow automation to support consistent oversight and operational discipline across jurisdictions.

On the client side, digital platforms provide real-time portfolio visibility, consolidated reporting across banks and asset classes, and access to global investment opportunities. Tan stressed that technology is designed to enhance transparency and responsiveness, particularly for globally mobile UHNW and HNW clients, rather than replace human judgement in advisory relationships. “Technology supports scale and efficiency, but relationships remain central,” he said.

Integration across advisory, capital markets and wealth planning is also supported by strategic partnerships. Tan pointed to collaborations such as with CTF Life Bermuda, which enable combined wealth, health and legacy planning, alongside platforms that support bespoke reporting, ESG integration and family governance tools. “AI amplifies expertise to create a more responsive, informed experience,” he added.“

Competitive positioning and long-term strategy

In a crowded wealth management landscape, differentiation increasingly depends on execution rather than claims of innovation. WRISE positions itself between universal banks and boutique advisory firms — combining global reach with independence, while accepting the discipline required to manage both.

Over the next five years, the firm plans to expand selectively across Asia and the Middle East, broaden its wealth and corporate advisory capabilities, and continue investing in governance and technology. Tan highlighted that Hong Kong remains a significant market, with HKD 107.1 billion ($13.7 billion)  raised in initial public offerings during the first half of 2025 and a stock market growth of 26.6 percent year-to-date. WRISE Capital is positioned to leverage this momentum to create long-term value for clients.

In the Middle East, Dubai is evolving as a centre for intergenerational capital, innovation and family offices. WRISE aims to combine local insight with global reach, delivering solutions that address both immediate investment opportunities and long-term legacy objectives. Tan said, success is measured not only by asset growth but by cross-border execution effectiveness, client retention across generations and operational consistency.

Scaling amid complexity 

As wealth becomes increasingly global and multi-jurisdictional, the true test will be whether governance-led, integrated models can maintain advisory depth and client trust. Expansion across Asia and the Middle East, broader advisory services, and enhanced digital platforms will require balancing operational consistency with responsiveness. Execution, rather than novelty, is likely to determine success in managing cross-border complexity and intergenerational wealth priorities.

Looking ahead, Tan said WRISE’s digital priorities will focus on deeper personalisation, cybersecurity resilience and the use of AI to support advisers in delivering more timely, informed advice across jurisdictions.