Our Corporate Milestones
Since 1935, our entrepreneurial spirit, focus on long-term value creation and unwavering commitment to do what is right for our customers have made UOB a leading bank in Asia. Our timeline captures the corporate milestones of our 86-year history.
1930s - 1960s
Our Beginning
1935
Amid the uncertainties of the Great Depression, a group of seven businessmen led by Datuk Wee Kheng Chiang (first row, centre) founded a bank to serve the merchant community in Singapore.
1935 (6 August)
United Chinese Bank (UCB) is incorporated
1935 (1 October)
UCB begins operations at Bonham Building
1956
Introduces coin banks for children
1958
Drives 1st mobile branch
1959
Opens 1st UCB branch at Beach Road
1962
1st bank to focus on women as customers
1965
UCB is renamed United Overseas Bank
Opens 1st overseas branch in Hong Kong
› 1970s – 1980s
1971
Acquires majority stake in Chung Khiaw Bank (CKB) in Singapore
Opens Tokyo branch
Reveals iconic five-bar logo
Opens Tokyo branch
Reveals iconic five-bar logo
1973
Acquires Lee Wah Bank in Singapore
1974
Dr Wee Cho Yaw succeeds Datuk Wee as Chairman and CEO
Begins operating from the new 30-storey building which stood on the same site as Bonham Building (the current UOB Plaza 2)
Begins operating from the new 30-storey building which stood on the same site as Bonham Building (the current UOB Plaza 2)
1975
Opens London branch
1977
Opens New York agency
1980
Introduces Singapore’s 1st ATM offering 24-hour banking
Opens Los Angeles agency
Opens Los Angeles agency
1982
Holds inaugural UOB Painting of the Year competition
1983
Opens Seoul representative office
1984
Opens Beijing representative office
Acquires majority interest in Far Eastern Bank in Singapore
Acquires majority interest in Far Eastern Bank in Singapore
1985
Expands into Sydney and Xiamen
1986
Expands into Vancouver
1987
Acquires majority interest in Industrial & Commercial Bank in Singapore
1988
1st Singapore bank to launch Visa cards
1st bank to launch Singapore’s only credit card for women
1st bank to launch Singapore’s only credit card for women
› 1990s – 2000s
1992
1st Singapore bank to set up representative office in Vietnam
Opens Taipei representative office
Opens Taipei representative office
1993
1st bank in Singapore to launch automated
cash deposit machine
cash deposit machine
1994
Expands into Yangon
1995
Celebrates 60th anniversary and official
opening of UOB Plaza 1
opening of UOB Plaza 1
1997
UOB Malaysia merges with CKB Malaysia
1998
Opens Shanghai branch
1999
Acquires Westmont Bank in the Philippines
Acquires Radanasin Bank in Thailand
Acquires Radanasin Bank in Thailand
› 2000s
2000
Mr Wee Ee Cheong is appointed Deputy Chairman
2001
Acquires Overseas Union Bank in Singapore
2004
Acquires 96.1% in Bank of Asia Public Company in Thailand
2005
Increases controlling stake of PT Bank Buana
in Indonesia to 61.1%
in Indonesia to 61.1%
2007
Mr Wee Ee Cheong succeeds Dr Wee Cho Yaw
as CEO
Launches 1st UOB Heartbeat Run/Walk
as CEO
Launches 1st UOB Heartbeat Run/Walk
2009
Opens Mumbai branch
2010
Merges PT Bank UOB Indonesia with PT Bank UOB Buana
2011
1st bank in Singapore to establish a Foreign Direct Investment Advisory Unit to support our clients’ regional expansion
2013
Dr Wee Cho Yaw becomes Chairman Emeritus and Adviser
2014
Named Most Admired ASEAN Enterprise for ASEAN Centricity by ASEAN Business Advisory Council
2015
Celebrates 80th anniversary, introduces refreshed logo and a corporate seal.
Opens Yangon branch
Completes full acquisition of Far Eastern Bank
Opens UOB Southeast Asia Gallery at National Gallery Singapore, housing the world’s largest collection of modern Southeast Asian Art
Introduces UOB Mighty, First mobile app outside of the US to enable contactless payments with tokenised security
Opens UOB Southeast Asia Gallery at National Gallery Singapore, housing the world’s largest collection of modern Southeast Asian Art
Introduces UOB Mighty, First mobile app outside of the US to enable contactless payments with tokenised security
2016
1st in the world to launch instant digital card issuance
1st in Southeast Asia to enable smartphones for contactless transactions at UOB ATMs
1st in Southeast Asia to enable smartphones for contactless transactions at UOB ATMs
2017
Launches UOB Art in Ink Awards in Hong Kong
2018
1st Singapore bank to establish a subsidiary in Vietnam
Officially opens new China head office building in Shanghai’s Lujiazui Financial District
Sets up Singapore’s largest car ecosystem and unites Singapore’s largest property ecosystem under one roof
Dr Wee Cho Yaw retires from the Board
Dr Wee Cho Yaw retires from the Board
2019
Launches TMRW, ASEAN’s first mobile-only digital bank, in Thailand
Expands into Hanoi, northern Vietnam
Deepens client support in the Greater Bay Area with opening of Zhongshan branch (7th in GBA)
Launches U-Solar, Asia’s first solar ecosystem to power the region’s development and adoption of renewable energy
Deepens client support in the Greater Bay Area with opening of Zhongshan branch (7th in GBA)
Launches U-Solar, Asia’s first solar ecosystem to power the region’s development and adoption of renewable energy
2020s
2020
Supports more than 1.4 million individuals and businesses, and contributes more than $2.7 million for the community under the #UnitedForYou COVID-19 Relief Programme
Donates more than one million pieces of personal protective equipment to healthcare workers and vulnerable communities around the world
Extends TMRW to Indonesia
Extends TMRW to Indonesia
Rolls out the UOB Smart City Sustainable Finance Framework, the first by a bank in Asia to support companies contributing to the creation of smart cities
Launches UOB Infinity, a new digital banking experience for businesses
Launches UOB Infinity, a new digital banking experience for businesses
2021
Launches UOB TMRW, a unified digital banking platform, and UOB Rewards+, Singapore’s largest cards rewards programme
Sets up a dedicated Corporate Sustainability Office and appoints the first Chief Sustainability Officer
Rolls out U-Energy, the first integrated financing platform for energy efficient projects in Asia, across four markets
Celebrates 40th milestone of UOB Painting of the Year competition
Celebrates 40th milestone of UOB Painting of the Year competition
