OCBC names next head of HR, with current head's retirement due in mid-2015

OCBC Bank on Tuesday announced on Tuesday that Jason Ho will succeed Cynthia Tan as Head of Group Human Resources from July 1, 2015, upon the retirement of Ms Tan, 64, the day before.

Mr Ho, 52 and now the head of Asset & Liability Management, will be appointed Deputy Head of Group Human Resources in January 2015 to enable a smooth transition into his new role from the middle of the year.

A banking veteran of 28 years' standing, he joined the bank as head of Asset & Liability Management in January 2013. He has experience in the treasury and trading business and is currently the deputy president of ACI - The Financial Markets Association. Prior to joining OCBC Bank, he was KBC Bank's regional treasurer for the Asia-Pacific.

Samuel Tsien, the bank's Group CEO, said though Mr Ho does not come from a HR background, he was tapped for the role, given his "strong people leadership skills and proven management capabilities".

Mr Tsien also put on record Ms Tan's leadership in the past 15 years, saying that various best practices and HR initiatives were introduced and well-received.

"Quite a few of them were firsts for the industry,'' he said.

Under her watch, OCBC Bank was named as one of the Best Companies for Mums by NTUC Women's Development Secretariat in 2014, and the Most Attractive Employer in the Banking and Financial Services Sector in the Randstand Awards 2013.