Samuel Tsien and OCBC Bank named Best CEO and Best Managed Bank in Singapore and Asia Pacific

Samuel N. Tsien and OCBC Bank received the CEO Leadership Achievement and Best Managed Bank in Singapore and Asia Pacific awards for 2016 at the prestigious, triennial Asian Banker Leadership Achievement Awards held on May 10th 2016 at the JW Marriott Hanoi.

(Left to right) Alain Chevalier, Chairman, The Asian Banker Summit Advisory Council; Nguyen Thi Hong, Deputy Governor, State Bank of Vietnam;Samuel Tsien, Group CEO, OCBC; Barney Frank, former Chairman of  House Financial Services Committee, US Congress; Emmanuel Daniel, Chairman, The Asian Banker

The awards were presented to Tsien by Congressman Barney Frank, former chairman of the US House Financial Services Committee. Also present were Nguyen Thi Hong, deputy governor of the State Bank of Vietnam; and Cesar Virata, a member of The Asian Banker advisory council that decides on the award, and former prime minister of the Philippines.

Under Tsien’s leadership, OCBC Bank successfully completed a number of major mergers and acquisitions that expanded and entrenched its position as one of the leading wealth managers in Asia. OCBC Bank extended its presence in Greater China, in addition to its core markets of Singapore, Malaysia, and Indonesia.

During the period under review (2013–2015), the bank’s efforts to build a strong regional presence has seen overseas earnings outside its home market of Singapore grow from 41% of the group’s total in 2011 to 45% in 2015. Income from its wealth management business also grew 16% annually during this period. Core earnings grew at an annual compounded rate of 14% between 2011 and 2015.

The bank has also leveraged the use of technology to improve efficiency, automate processes and increase productivity to further strengthen its competitive advantage. It has launched many innovations in the market, such as the first personal financial management tool for online and mobile banking.

He is an outstanding banker with deep knowledge of the banking industries of two major financial centres in Asia, Hong Kong and Singapore. He has also contributed significantly to the development of both centres.

Tsien runs one of the largest and inarguably the most diversified banking group in Asia, with businesses in commercial, retail, investment, private and transaction banking, as well as insurance and wealth management. Tsien has over 30 years of experience in the banking industry and has been group chief executive officer of OCBC Bank since April 2012.

The full list of winners of the Leadership Achievement Awards includes:

Leadership Award and Best Managed Bank in Singapore and Asia Pacific

• Samuel N. Tsien, Group Chief Executive Officer, OCBC Bank, Singapore

Leadership Awards and Best Managed Banks and Retail Banker of the Year

• Jahja Setiaatmadja, President Director, Bank Central Asia, Indonesia

Leadership Awards and Best Managed Banks 

• Mohammad Abdul Mannan, Managing Director, Islami Bank Bangladesh Limited
• Aravinda Perera, Managing Director, Sampath Bank, Sri Lanka
• Chao Chin Tung, Chairman, CTBC Bank, Taiwan
• Banthoon Lamsam, Chairman and CEO, Kasikornbank, Thailand
• Le Cong, CEO, Military Commercial Joint Stock Bank, Vietnam
• Salah Jassim Murad, CEO, Ahli Bank, Qatar
• Ala'a Eraiqat, Group CEO, Executive Director, Abu Dhabi Commercial Bank, United Arab Emirates

The Best Managed Banks 

• Blom Bank, Lebanon
• Shinhan Bank, South Korea

The William “Bill” Seidman Awards for Lifetime Achievement in Leadership in the Financial Services Industry and Best Managed Bank in Hong Kong

• David K.P. Li, Executive Chairman and CEO, The Bank of East Asia, Hong Kong

For more information about The Asian Banker Leadership Awards click here

For all Leadership Achievement Award press releases click here

The 2016 awardees