The Institute of Banking and Finance (IBF) held its 5th Annual Conference today entitled “Shape the Future – Grooming the Next Generation of Financial Sector Leaders.” The Conference, attended by over 150 senior management executives from the financial sector, highlighted the importance of developing a robust leadership pipeline and managing financial sector talents in today’s post-crisis environment.

In his Welcome Remarks, Mr. Ravi Menon, Managing Director of the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) and newly-appointed Chairman of the IBF Council said "There has been much discussion globally on levelling up regulatory standards to meet the risks of an increasingly complex and inter-connected financial services sector. But there has been less discussion on the competencies that need to be levelled up in financial services – competencies in risk management, corporate governance, and financial supervision. Only if competency standards are raised, will the ongoing financial regulatory efforts bear fruit.”

The Guest speaker was Kate Sweetman, a Visiting Scholar at MIT's Legatum Centre for Development and Entrepreneurship, founding partner of Sweetman Consulting, LLC who spoke on the theme "Shape the Future – Grooming the Next Generation of Financial Sector Leaders".

This was followed by a lively panel discussion moderated by Associate Professor Annie Koh. The Guest panelists include, Mr Lester Gray, Chief Executive Officer, Asia Pacific, Schroder Investment Management (Singapore) Ltd; Mr Loh Boon Chye, Managing Director, Head of the Corporate and Investment Bank, Asia Pacific, Deutsche Bank AG, Singapore Branch; Mr Piyush Gupta, Group Chief Executive Officer, DBS Bank Ltd; Mr Ray Ferguson, Regional Chief Executive Officer, Singapore and South East Asia, Standard Chartered Bank. The panel shared their expert insight and perspectives on how financial institutions are building their leadership pipeline; developing a sustainable talent pool for the financial sector and how to anchor global leaders in Singapore given the flow of talent to Asia.

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