SINGAPORE (Feb 4): UBS Group has appointed Desmond Kuek, SMRT Corporation’s former president and group CEO, as its divisional vice chairman for global wealth management.
In an e-mailed statement on Monday, the Swiss multinational investment bank says Kuek will officially join UBS on Feb 18.
His new role will be based in Singapore where he will report to Joe Stadler, UBS’s head of ultra-high net worth, as well as the bank’s Asia Pacific president, Edmund Koh.
During his tenure at SMRT Corp since Oct 2012, Kuek spearheaded the transportation group’s privatisation in 2016 and oversaw its sale to Temasek Holdings. Three months after stepping down in Aug 2018, he reportedly went on to start a leadership consultancy company, Genium & Co.
See: Neo Kian Hong to take over as SMRT Group CEO from August
Prior to his time at SMRT Corp, Kuek held leadership roles such as permanent secretary at Singapore's Ministry of Environment and Water Resources; chief of Army; and chief of Defence Force.
He also served on the boards of ST Engineering and its subsidiaries; Defence Science and Technology Agency; Housing and Development Board (HDB); Jurong Town Corporation (JTC); International Enterprise Singapore (IE Singapore) and the Civil Service College.
"Desmond is a great intellect and strategic thinker. He is tenacious; always calm under pressure and not afraid to take on the toughest challenges with commitment and perseverance. His rich and diverse range of experiences driving complex businesses through innovation and transformation will serve UBS well into its next chapter. I am very happy to welcome him as a colleague,” comments Koh.
