Banking is built on trust, relationships and judgment. Continuous learning keeps us relevant, empowers our people to lead with confidence and strengthens a future-ready financial industry that serves clients and community better.
IBF Fellow (2026), Corporate Banking
Lim Lay Wah
Managing Director and Group Head, Global Financial Institutions Group, Overseas Branches and ESG Strategy, UOB
Biography
Lim Lay Wah is Managing Director and Group Head of Global Financial Institutions Group, Overseas Branches and ESG Strategy at UOB. With more than three decades of banking experience, she leads a global team of 180 professionals, building cross-border connections that support businesses across ASEAN and other key markets through UOB’s presence in 19 markets worldwide.
A strategic thinker, business leader and future talent builder, Lay Wah has helped strengthen UOB’s role as One Bank for ASEAN and beyond by deepening partnerships with financial institutions, global investors, government agencies and businesses. As Singapore’s representative on the ASEAN Business Advisory Council (ASEAN-BAC), she contributes to advancing regional economic integration, sustainable growth and stronger public-private sector collaboration.
Lay Wah believes meaningful success is built on people and partnerships. She has championed practical financing and sustainability solutions that help businesses, including SMEs, build resilience, capture new opportunities and navigate the transition to a low-carbon economy and an AI-enabled world.
Known for leading by example, she empowers teams to think with clarity, act with purpose and continue growing. In complex and critical situations, she steps forward to provide strategic guidance and support. Her leadership reflects a commitment to developing future-ready talent and contributing to a resilient, trusted and forward-looking financial industry across the region for clients and the wider community.