A Singaporean at the top?

WE asked some of this year's IBF Distinguished Fellows whether a Singaporean will head a global financial institution one day soon. Here is what they said.

Sim S Lim, DBS Bank Singapore Country Head: "I hope a Singaporean will head a global financial institution one day. But he or she cannot just be intellectually strong, but must be mentally fit. This comes with years of experience across different assignments and living in different countries.

"There are management lessons you can't learn from a book. The person has to deal with the problems on the local ground, understand the local nuance to have the breadth to do the job. Also at any top job, one must be able to attract and position talent in the right places. That Singaporean is out there somewhere!"