OCBC Hong Kong CEO Ivy Au-Yeung to retire; Wang Ke named as successor
AFTER two years at the helm of OCBC’s Hong Kong entity as chief executive officer, Ivy Au-Yeung will be retiring on Dec 31, 2023.
Her role will be assumed by Wang Ke effective Dec 15, 2023, in addition to his recent appointment as OCBC’s head of Greater China, which was announced earlier this month.
Consolidating these leadership roles – namely the positions of OCBC Hong Kong’s CEO as well as the group’s head of Greater China – streamlines the bank’s drive to solidify its collective strengths in the region, the group said in on Wednesday (Nov 29).
It would also enable OCBC to capture trade, investment and wealth flows between Greater China and Asean.
OCBC group CEO Helen Wong said that Wang holding both positions would “achieve greater synergy and alignment” for the group’s refreshed corporate strategy.
“I am confident that Wang Ke will continue to be a strong contributor to OCBC with his deep knowledge and vast experience of Greater China,” she added.
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Prior to his appointment as the group’s head of Greater China on Nov 1, Wang was CEO of the entity now known as OCBC China, from December 2019 to October 2023. The group credited Wang for steering its China business through the Covid-19 pandemic during this period, while also helping to more than double its profits since 2019.
He first joined the group in 2012 as head of information technology (IT) in China, expanding his responsibilities to include operations in 2014. He was eventually appointed head of the Pearl River Delta region in 2017.
OCBC China was formerly named OCBC Wing Hang China before its legal name and brand change on Nov 24, 2023.
OCBC Hong Kong’s name change from OCBC Wing Hang Hong Kong took place on Jul 3, 2023. The group noted that this took place under Au-Yeung’s guidance and management.
The outgoing CEO was also lauded as instrumental in the integration of the OCBC Hong Kong branch with OCBC Wing Hang Hong Kong in 2021.
Au-Yeung helped to “deepen the bench strength of the leadership in Hong Kong” over the last two years, said OCBC, and oversaw the succession of nine other leadership roles.
“Ivy has played a key role in strengthening the foundation of OCBC Hong Kong and repositioning it for growth since her appointment as CEO in 2021,” commented Wong.
“She steered OCBC Hong Kong through the tough Covid-19 pandemic and navigated the challenging business environment while safeguarding asset quality. We thank Ivy for her valuable contributions and wish her a fulfilling retirement.”
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