OCBC Bank (Malaysia) Berhad (OCBC Malaysia) today announced the appointment of Mr Tan Chor Sen as its CEO with effect from 1 January 2023.

Mr Tan, a seasoned OCBC banker, is succeeding Dato’ Ong Eng Bin who will be retiring. Dato’ Ong will stay on as an adviser.

Mr Tan has been with OCBC Bank in Singapore for more than 17 years and is a member of the Management Committee at the group level. He is currently the Head of International, Global Enterprise Banking in the OCBC Bank head office in Singapore, overseeing the growth of the cross-border flow businesses of small and medium-sized enterprises (SME) and mid-cap companies in the region.

New OCBC Malaysia CEO Mr Tan Chor Sen

He joined the OCBC Group in May 2005 and led the formation of the Emerging Business unit, redefining the bank’s coverage of small businesses and positioning OCBC Bank as a leading SME bank in Singapore serving one in every two SMEs. He was instrumental in expanding the SME business regionally in Malaysia, Indonesia and Hong Kong, introducing new business models, digital solutions and service innovations tailored for SMEs. In Malaysia, the team successfully launched the SME cash business and digital account opening for businesses.

Mr Tan has actively led the Bank’s strategic thrust in capturing the cross-border trade and investment flows within ASEAN and with Greater China. He extended the market coverage by developing onshore and offshore financing opportunities. His deep knowledge of ASEAN and wide experience in connecting companies across the region will expand the OCBC Malaysia franchise beyond its long-established local businesses. 

Mr Tan Ngiap Joo, Chairman of OCBC Malaysia, said: “Chor Sen has a solid track record with the OCBC Group. Not only has Chor Sen built strong businesses, he has also built strong teams across the region. I am confident that Chor Sen will take the OCBC franchise in Malaysia to the next phase of growth and transformation.”

Dato’ Ong Eng Bin joined OCBC Malaysia in 1988 as a graduate bank officer in corporate banking. He was promoted to Head of Corporate Banking in 1998 and then to Head of Business Banking Division in 2012. Dato’ Ong has been instrumental in growing OCBC Malaysia to become a leading corporate bank amongst the foreign banks in the country. In August 2014, Dato’ Ong was appointed as the CEO of OCBC Malaysia. Under his leadership, OCBC Malaysia strengthened its position as one of the top two foreign banks in the country. He has also built up the Islamic Banking business under OCBC Malaysia’s subsidiary, OCBC Al-Amin Bank Berhad. Dato’ Ong led the Bank through the difficult pandemic years, protecting the lives and livelihood of customers, employees and the community. In 2021, total income for OCBC Malaysia grew 27% to reach RM2.8 billion. For the first nine months of this year, OCBC Malaysia recorded a net profit of RM959 million, doubling the net profit recorded for the same period in 2021. 

Extending his appreciation to Dato’ Ong, Mr Tan Ngiap Joo added, “We would like to thank Eng Bin for his 35 years of dedicated service to OCBC Malaysia. OCBC Malaysia is in a strong position today. The team will continue to benefit from Eng Bin’s experience and knowledge as he stays on as an adviser.”