3 minute read
Bank of Singapore
STRONG ASIA LINKS WIN MENA ADMIRERS
Tom Burroughes, Group Editor at WealthBriefing, talks to Vivek Gehani, Head of Global South Asia and Middle East (Dubai), DIFC Branch, Bank of Singapore.
Please explain what you think makes your firm successful in its chosen field.
Our strength lies in Asia – while we have global expertise, our deep understanding of Asia and emerging markets is what sets us apart. The bank’s three hubs in Singapore, Dubai and Hong Kong are strategically primed to serve MENA clients pursuing the Asian growth story.
We are committed to continuously enhancing our MENA-centric offerings. Earlier this year, we set up a unit in our Dubai International Financial Centre branch to provide dedicated support for the burgeoning financial intermediaries and external asset managers - that manage the wealth of high net worth and ultra-high net worth individuals. This unit is part of Bank of Singapore’s Financial Intermediaries (FIM) Excellence Centre that works exclusively with external asset managers to serve their clients holistically. This includes providing on-the-ground support across various capabilities including client onboarding, trade execution and digital solutions curated for the unique needs of financial intermediaries.
We remain focused on servicing the growing segment of highly sophisticated clients - Global Investors and Family Offices (GIFO), establishing a dedicated Family Office Advisory team to provide tailored advice and solutions to meet the varying needs and objectives of each client, helping them achieve their key wealth goals. Given our vast experience with family office set-ups as a Singapore-based bank, we are one of the best positioned to help and serve our MENA clients through our family office platform.
People remain firmly at the centre of our strategy. Our team is the bedrock of our Global South Asia and Middle East (GSAM) business - their pursuit of excellence at all levels has been integral to our success. It is for this reason that we continue to invest heavily in attracting the best-in-class talent and upskilling and reskilling our people, to future-proof our workforce.
What have been the main obstacles you had to overcome and how did you do so to reach this level?
Against the backdrop of a complex and ever-changing landscape, our forward-looking strategy is focused on the continued and sustainable growth of our GSAM business, underpinned by operational and service excellence. We continue to sharpen our market expertise, build differentiated product offerings, and invest in digital tools and our people, all whilst leveraging the footprint of our parent company, OCBC Bank.
How do awards such as this make a difference to your firm and your colleagues?
This recognition reaffirms the hard work put in by our teams and the confidence and trust our clients have in us. It encourages us to continue to deliver on our commitment to provide innovative solutions and top-notch service to help our clients meet their dynamic needs.
Can you sum up the philosophy that sums up your firm the best?
Our values are the cornerstone of everything we do. In today’s complex and ever-changing world, what remains unchanged are our values that form the foundation of success.
At Bank of Singapore, this means taking a long-term view of our relationship with our clients, building on shared values such as hard work, integrity, transparency, and prudence.
We may be a relatively young private bank, but we have grown from strength to strength since our inception in 2010 due to our most valued asset - a talented and dedicated team who pride themselves on managing our clients’ wealth as though it is their own. Vivek Gehani
Head of Global South Asia & Middle East (Dubai), DIFC Branch, Bank of Singapore
ASIA-BASED PRIVATE BANK ACTIVE IN MENA WINNER Bank of Singapore
