The long game: How UBS shapes its next chapter in Singapore

FOR a few weeks this September, part of Gardens by the Bay’s West Lawn takes on a new rhythm.

Padel courts fill the space as UBS brings its regional Padel Series to Singapore, following stops in Hong Kong and Sydney. Padel – a racket sport usually played in doubles on an enclosed court, combining elements of tennis and squash – has grown rapidly in popularity around the world.

Centre court at the Gardens is designed to give people of different ages and abilities a chance to try the sport. For Young Jin Yee, co-head of UBS Global Wealth Management Asia-Pacific and country head of UBS Singapore, however, the appeal stretches beyond the game itself.

“Through the UBS Craft of Sport, we create opportunities for people to connect through shared passions and experiences while celebrating the values of dedication, resilience and excellence,” she says.

UBS has brought that idea to life in different ways.

Formula One driver George Russell has met aspiring young racers in Singapore; Masters champion Sergio Garcia has worked with young golfers; and football great Thierry Henry has spent time with young footballers here.

For UBS, the point is less the star power than the discipline behind elite performance.

“Top performers, whether elite sports stars or award-winning financial services companies like UBS, share the same qualities – dedication to the craft, resilience and excellence,” Young says.

That same idea runs through UBS’ own story in Singapore.

Growing with Singapore

UBS has been present here for more than 60 years. Over that time, Singapore has evolved from a local market in its network into one of its most important regional bases.

Its workforce here has quintupled over the past two decades. Today, Singapore is a major wealth management centre, an investment banking hub for South-east Asia, and an important base for global technology and operations.

UBS has also been at the forefront of Singapore’s capital markets revival, serving as Joint Issue Manager on five of the eight Singapore Exchange mainboard initial public offerings above S$100 million since 2025 – the strongest showing among international banks.

Named Asia’s Best International Private Bank by Euromoney, UBS continues to reinforce its market-leading position with a range of top industry honours, including Best Debt Capital Markets House (International) at the FinanceAsia Awards 2026, as well as Best M&A Advisor and Best IPO in Singapore for Centurion Accommodation Reit’s S$816 million listing at The Asset Triple A Sustainable Finance Awards 2026.

The bank moved into 9 Penang Road in 2021, making it its largest office in Asia-Pacific. In 2024, Singapore also became home to UBS’ first AI & Transformation Factory, which is currently its largest globally.

That expansion has mirrored Singapore’s own rise as a financial centre. Young points to the Republic’s openness, stability, connectivity and continued investment in talent and innovation as reasons why so many of UBS’ strategic businesses are based here.

“Ultimately, what ties all these activities together is that Singapore is a place where capital, talent and innovation come together,” she says.

Increasingly, what is built here is also meant to travel. The clearest example is artificial intelligence.

UBS chose Singapore for its first AI & Transformation Factory because of the city’s talent pool, innovation ecosystem and supportive regulatory environment.

“The AI solutions being developed in Singapore are not just for Singapore,” Young says. “They are being built by diverse international teams based here, and their impact will extend across Asia-Pacific and globally.”

That gives Singapore a broader role within the bank: not only as a place to serve clients, but as a base from which UBS can develop and scale capabilities.

The same long-term opportunity is visible in wealth management.

UBS is deepening its focus on high-net-worth and ultra-high-net-worth clients as Singapore’s pool of wealth continues

to expand. As an example, the number of adults here with US$5 million to US$10 million in investable assets has grown by around 8 per cent annually over the past five years, Young says.

As UBS deepens its focus on these clients, it is also investing in the people who will serve them.

Passing the craft on

For Young, there is a clear link between bringing young athletes face to face with established champions and developing people within the bank.

“These initiatives reflect our belief that talent thrives when people are given opportunities to learn from practitioners who have excelled in their fields,” she says.

That emphasis on learning from accomplished practitioners extends beyond sport.

As founding and lead partner, UBS has been supporting ART SG, the region’s leading international art fair, for the past four years. Its “Art for All” community initiative seeks to make art accessible to all while fostering sustainable practices.

Within banking, UBS University anchors the bank’s talent-development efforts. Its UBS-SUPER programme has provided more than 400 fresh graduates and mid-career professionals with on-the-job training, upskilling and mentorship.

Across sport, art and finance, the idea is much the same: expertise deepens when it is shared.

The idea of preparing the next generation also surfaces in UBS’ wealth business – although there, the questions increasingly centre on succession, purpose and legacy.

UBS has been a founding sponsor of the Singaporean of the Year award since its inception in 2015, recognising individuals who have made an extraordinary impact on their communities.

The UBS Optimus Foundation established a presence in Singapore in 2019, reflecting growing regional interest in impact investing, sustainable development and structured philanthropy. UBS sees room for Singapore to grow further as a philanthropy hub alongside its established role in wealth management.

That points to a broader role for Singapore in the years ahead, says Young, who also chairs the Private Banking Industry Group’s Philanthropy Workgroup.

“Singapore will become an even more integral part of UBS’ global network, bringing together talent, innovation and expertise to serve clients across Asia-Pacific and beyond,” she adds.

The emphasis, much like in sport, is on keeping pace: building on what Singapore already does well, while investing for the next phase of growth.

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