OCBC appoints Bangkok branch GM to oversee Myanmar operations

OCBC Bank said on Monday that it has appointed banking veteran Daniel Tan Piak Chiau as the general manager designate of the new Myanmar branch that opens next year.

Mr Tan, 51, who assumed office with effect from Nov 1, 2014, had been general manager of the bank's Bangkok branch for the past 10 years and had oversight of its Yangon Representative Office.

"Daniel and his team of experienced commercial bankers will continue to focus on supporting our regional corporate customers who are keen to seize the opportunities for trade and investment in Myanmar,'' Linus Goh, OCBC Bank's head of global commercial banking, said.

Mr Tan's immediate task will be to prepare for the opening of the new 6,000 sq ft branch at Union Financial Centre in Yangon. Mr Tan will be the general manager of the branch when it opens.

OCBC, whose history in Myanmar dates back to 1923, received preliminary approval on Oct 1, 2014, from the Central Bank of Myanmar to prepare for the start of its banking operations in Myanmar.

The foreign branch licence will allow OCBC to offer a full range of banking products and services - including cash management, project financing, working capital financing and trade finance, as well as treasury and capital markets advisory and services - to foreign companies and joint ventures, as well as domestic banks in Myanmar.