IN today’s wired world of smartphones and streaming satellite feeds, it is easy to suffer from an information overload with the constant bombardment of news from around the world. Not surprisingly, decision-making for many chief executive officers (CEOs) has become clouded by uncertainty and unpredictability.

For Benjamin Hung, 57, Standard Chartered (StanChart) Asia CEO in charge of 21 markets spanning Greater China, North Asia, Asean and South Asia - a region which generates the bulk of the London-headquartered lender’s income - things couldn’t be more interesting.

“Every day I wake up, there is something going on that drives me nuts. But it is also the excitement that keeps me going,” Hung told The Business Times in a recent visit to Singapore, where the bank unveiled plans to invest S$1 billion over the next 5 years.

Whether it is the Covid-19 pandemic, Russia’s attack on Ukraine, the rising tension between the US and China and their ever changing rules, Sri Lanka’s debt crisis, or supply chain disruptions - all these and the related policies “give a very exciting, very colourful career”.

Right now, the biggest concern for the banker who has been with StanChart for 30 years, is to navigate the near-term challenges in China, the world’s second largest economy after the US, and the bank’s single largest originator of network business.

“We can get excessively excitable every day reading of the new troubles, geopolitical developments…etc. But you have to be able to filter what are short term aberrations from the long term structural trends and opportunities, and stay focused,” the Hong Kong-based banker said.

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“Tons of volatility. Every quarter gives me a lot of white hair, but that’s the way it is and that’s what we are paid to do - smooth those,” he smiled.

Constantly filtering helps him “find the right balance from the different perspectives” of different media platforms as each may not necessarily give a complete picture of what’s going on.

“What we sell is actually knowledge, information and insights to our clients that they can benefit from,” Hung said.

He believes in the long-term fundamentals of China. President Xi Jinping is expected to continue to open up the mainland’s financial market, improve central governance and address corruption as China morphs from a manufacturing base to a consumption-based economy.

“China’s opening up is a critical part of what we are looking at. It is less about whether its gross domestic product is 4 per cent or 5. It is more about the opening up and how we can facilitate that,” Hung said.

Much of the world is still heavily under-weight the Chinese yuan or Chinese assets. This is expected to change with the higher weighting given to the yuan by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) in its quinquennial review of the method of valuation of the basket of currencies that make up the Special Drawing Right (SDR) in May. The yuan was given a weighting of 12.28 per cent, from 10.92, based on its role in international trade and finance.

“What this means is the world still needs to rebalance away from certain currencies towards the yuan,” Hung said, adding that this is an area where the bank can play a role.

Last month, the bank officially opened its Greater Bay Area (GBA) Centre, marking the completion of the US$40 million development. The centre aims to serve the cross-border needs of clients. Hung said the GBA business would play an integral role in contributing to the bank’s aspirations in Asia. This year, StanChart is accelerating its focus in seizing China opportunity, with the ambition to double its profit contribution to the group by 2024. The bank has committed US$300 million over the next three years into its China-related businesses and capabilities, including GBA.

Hung said: “My job is not to guess what the geopolitical powers or leaders are doing right now. I try to view what the policies are about and make sure I don’t clash with them.”

Ultimately, banking should “drive commerce, prosperity and improvement in livelihoods”.

“Too much focus has been on pure money. There should be a purpose behind what we do everyday. That’s why I care about how the bank supports the emerging markets. We have a big role to play here as a role model,” said Hung.

The Asia-focused bank reported a better-than-expected 6 per cent rise in first-quarter profit, boosted by rising global interest rates. Pre-tax profits rose to US$1.5 billion in the three months to March 31, from US$1.4 billion a year earlier and compared with the US$1 billion average estimate compiled by the bank.

Hung, who is also the chairman of Standard Chartered Bank China, made history in 2017 when he became the first Chinese person to take on a global management role at the British bank, as chief executive of retail banking. Since joining the bank in 1992, he has worked in corporate, commercial, and retail banking.

The father of two is known as a generous giver of his time to official bodies. He is a member of the Hong Kong chief executive’s Council of Advisers on Innovation and Strategic Development, and of the General Committee of the Hong Kong General Chamber of Commerce, and a director of Hong Kong Exchanges and Clearing. He was also the chairman of the Hong Kong Association of Banks.

Hung is also fondly known by the media as StanChart’s Marathon man. Back in 1996, as a young banker, he helped conceive StanChart's sponsorship of the Hong Kong Marathon, in a bid to promote healthy lifestyle. Only 1,000 or so turned up to take part in the inaugural event, held the following year. Today, it is replicated in the bank’s other regional markets including Singapore, where thousands participate in the marquee running event.

“If you constantly focus on greed, your brand will never last. It is also hard to attract talent. You have to be here for good. I subscribe to that wholeheartedly,” said Hung, whose role models are Apple’s co-founder, Steve Jobs, for his passion for excellence, and one of UK’s greatest leaders, Winston Churchill, for his ability to lead during uncertain times.