HSBC Singapore hires former OCBC executive for newly created trade finance role

HSBC Singapore has hired OCBC Bank's Tze Tze Lee as the head of product and propositions, a newly created role within the bank's global trade and receivables finance team in Singapore.

Ms Lee joined HSBC on Apr 29 although the move was announced only on Monday.

It appears that HSBC has been hiring for the role since last October, based on a LinkedIn job listing. A HSBC spokeswoman said: "As this is a newly created role and a key position, we took our time to identify the right candidate."

Ms Lee joins from OCBC where she was head of product management, trade finance, since 2016. Previously, she spent 10 years within the global transaction services team at DBS Bank.

In her new role, Ms Lee reports to Iain Morrison, country head of global trade and receivables finance, and Sanjay Tandon, the Asia-Pacific head of product and propositions.

Mr Morrison said: "Tze Tze's knowledge of the Singapore and regional trade finance market will be invaluable at a crucial time for global trade. There is no doubt that the trade environment is facing new challenges and opportunities, that's why we need the best talent. Singapore is a hub for corporates accessing the region, and our approach to trade finance is mirroring this."

The move also comes as the bank looks to strengthen its regional coverage from Singapore. HSBC Singapore said last year that it intends to increase its headcount across the business by more than 10 per cent over three years, as part of plans to increase market share.