A former UOB CEO returns after four years at OCBC

Eric Lian, the former CEO and president of UOB China, has returned to the bank after spending four years at OCBC. He is now a managing director in group commercial banking at UOB, according to his LinkedIn profile.

Lian was previously group chief credit officer, wholesale credit risk management, at OCBC. His wholesale banking remit there included corporate and commercial banking, commercial real estate, financial institutions, specialised commodities finance, and special asset management.

This is Lian’s third stint at UOB. He began his banking career with UOB in 1989 and joined Standard Chartered in 1995. During an 18-year tenure with SCB, he held several senior positions in wholesale banking and credit risk management in Singapore and China.

Lian left Stan Chart in 2013, having risen to managing director rank, to become UOB’s China CEO and president. While at the helm in China, Lian focused on capturing wholesale banking market share from increasing business flows between Greater China and Southeast Asia. He was also a member of UOB Group’s executive committee during this second period at the firm.

Lian graduated from Nanyang Technological University with a Bachelor of Engineering. He also holds an MBA from Nanyang Business School.

UOB reported a 40% year-on-year drop in third quarter net profit to S$668m, driven by loan-loss provisions and declines in interest income.

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