KUALA LUMPUR: United Overseas Bank (M) Bhd (UOB Malaysia) has named Ng Wei Wei as its first female chief executive officer (CEO), effective May 1, 2022, succeeding Wong Kim Choong.

       Wong, who will relinquish the position after leading the bank since 2012, will take on a new role as senior adviser. He will oversee the integration of bank’s and Citi’s retail banking business, until his planned retirement.

       Ng is a seasoned banker with broad experience and in-depth knowledge of the financial industry. In the earlier part of her career, from 2000 to 2006, she honed her banking skills and developed her core values at UOB Malaysia.

       Following various leadership roles at global financial institutions in Malaysia and Hong Kong, she returned to UOB Malaysia in 2019 as managing director and country head of wholesale banking, before assuming the role of deputy CEO in 2021.

       “I would like to thank Wong for his years of strong leadership and to congratulate Ng on her appointment as CEO of UOB Malaysia.

       “Ng’s appointment reflects our firm belief in the importance and benefits of diversity as we anticipate customer needs in an increasingly complex, changing and volatile environment,” UOB Group deputy chairman and CEO Wee Ee Cheong said in a statement.