Citibank Malaysia chief executive sanguine about macrolandscape challenges

Singapore

GOING by the track record of Citibank Malaysia's past chief executive officers, one of two things could await Singapore-born Lee Lung Nien, the flamboyant chief executive of the American bank's Malaysian unit.

Mr Lee, or Lung as he is known in banking and social circles - now eight months into his post - could stay long in the job and match Sanjeev Nanavati, whom he succeeded, as the longest serving boss of Citibank Malaysia; he could also have a relatively short stint in Kuala Lumpur and return to Singapore, where bigger things could unfold, as they did for Mr Nanavati's predecessor, Piyush Gupta, who now helms South-east Asia's largest bank, DBS Group.