Dr Wee Cho Yaw, visionary, banker extraordinaire, community pillar and celebrated pioneer, is highly regarded in Singapore and internationally.
He retired from the UOB Board in 2018, following more than 60 years at the helm of the UOB Group. Under his leadership and guidance, UOB became one of the leading banks in Asia. The Bank’s regional network grew from 75 to more than 500 branches and offices, and assets increased from $2.8 billion to more than $253 billion through disciplined and sustainable growth.
Dr Wee’s contributions to growing UOB’s global network include:
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1965
Opens 1st overseas branch in Hong Kong
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1971
Acquires majority stake in Chung Khiaw Bank (CKB)
Opens Tokyo Branch
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1973
Acquires Lee Wah Bank
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1977
Opens New York agency
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1980
Opens Los Angeles agency
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1983
Opens Seoul representative office
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1984
Opens Beijing representative office
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1985
Expands into Sydney and Xiamen
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1986
Expands into Vancouver
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1987
Acquires majority interest in Industrial & Commercial Bank
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1992
1st Singapore bank to set up office in Vietnam
Sets up Taipei representative office
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1997
UOB Malaysia merges with CKB Malaysia
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1998
Opens Shanghai branch
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1999
Acquires Westmont Bank in the Philippines
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1999
Acquires Radanasin Bank in Thailand
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2001
Acquires Overseas Union Bank
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2004
Acquires 96.1% in Bank of Asia Public Company in Thailand
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2005
Increases controlling stake of PT Bank Buana in Indonesia to 61.1%
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2010
Merges PT Bank UOB Indonesia with PT Bank UOB Buana
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2015
Completes full acquisition of Far Eastern Bank
Officially opens Yangon branch, adding to UOB’s unparalled Southeast Asian network
Dr Wee has received many accolades for his business achievements and support of education, community welfare and the business community.
Among the awards conferred on him are the Distinguished Service Order, Singapore’s highest National Day Award, ASEAN Business Advisory Council Legacy Award for Singapore and Honorary Degrees of Doctor of Letters from the National University of Singapore and Nanyang Technological University.
Given his wealth of experience and insight, he remains an honorary adviser to the Board.
