Lay Wah Lim
Managing Director and Group Head of Sector Solutions Group and Global Financial Institutions Group, UOB
Lim Lay Wah is the Managing Director and Group Head of Sector Solutions Group (SSG) and Global Financial Institutions Group (GFIG) of UOB. She joined UOB in October 2014 with more than 2 decades of banking experience with various reputable international banks. In UOB, she manages a globally capable and diverse team of more than 160 staff across 17 UOB locations. She spearheads UOB’s strategic direction in the highly dynamic banking space, driving business opportunities leveraging UOB’s connected footprints in ASEAN, Greater China, Japan, Korea, US, Canada, United Kingdom, and Australia while ensuring strong credit discipline.
SSG is a business unit set up with the purpose of developing market- leading solutions targeted at the sectoral ecosystems of 7 prioritised sectors: Industrials, Consumer Goods, Construction & Infrastructure, Oil, Gas & Chemicals, Healthcare, Telecommunications, Media & Technology and Real Estate & Hospitality. SSG is also responsible for strategic deals structuring that transcend across customer segments, countries, sectors, and products, driving deals execution in financial supply chain management and sustainability solutioning. SSG manages UOB’s Group Wholesale Banking ESG Frameworks, Sustainability Frameworks and Solutions. She has been leading SSG since January 2023.
GFIG is a multi-solution client-driven global coverage team who works together with product specialists to provide end-to-end quality and tailored Global Markets, Transactional Banking, and Investment Banking solutions. GFIG manages UOB’s global relationship with Global Funds/Financial Sponsors, Non-Bank Financial Institutions (including Sovereign Wealth Funds, Central Banks, Asset Managers, Insurance, Diversified Financials) and Banks clients. On top of that, within UOB, GFIG also plays the strategic role in driving inter Financial Institutions relationship and partnership. She has been leading GFIG since October 2014. She has grown the business by 500% and established strong relationship with ~30 of top 50 Global Funds and various leading Banks and NBFIs.
Together, SSG and GFIG provide tailored industry specific solutions to UOB clients with global relationship coverage coupled with deep local market insights.
As a senior leader, she also dedicates her time to various Senior Committees in UOB. Being a firm believer that human capital is a key component to success, she dedicates her time to play an active role in the UOB’s Development Council for talent management and retention. She is also a member of Group Credit Committee, Asset and Liability Working Committee, Group Sustainability Committee and Senior Management Leadership team in UOB’s Group Wholesale Bank (GWB).
Lay Wah is a respected business leader and mentor; she has built strong cohesive talented teams in UOB and her previous organizations. As a seasoned banker, she is highly capable in understanding clients’ needs and formulating tailored sector solutions for the clients. Throughout the years, this has allowed her to foster deep relationships with clients’ senior management. Combined with strong execution by her teams, this has resulted in synergistic partnership between UOB, UOB’s clients and talented team.
Prior to UOB, she has held various leadership positions in ANZ and Standard Chartered Bank (SCB). She was ANZ’s Global Head of Funds and Insurance. She led a talented team of over 100 staff members in delivering ~500% revenue growth from 2008 to 2013 with double digit Return on Equity. She was one of the top Senior Leaders under the Group’s CEO Extended leadership team managing critical business for the group. She spent 18 years in SCB holding various leadership positions in Large Corporations, NBFIs, FIG, Public Sector client segments. Her last appointment in SCB was as Managing Director, Senior Strategic Relationship Management, Financial Institutions Group (FIG). She was instrumental in deepening and growing SCB’s FIG growth in Asia Pacific and Middle East.
Lay Wah has also been actively involved in the banking community space, driving strategic conversations. She led UOB’s inaugural sustainability conference attended by various senior industry leaders. She represented UOB in SIBOS, promoting ASEAN and Greater China connectivity.
Despite being an active figure in the industry, she is also a mother to four lovely children. She is the epitome of a well-rounded career woman.