For many finance professionals, the move into a new domain is driven by a desire for a fresh challenge. Jane Kwang is a prime example of this professional evolution. After spending several years with OCBC’s Global Markets Business Process Transformation team, where she built a strong foundation in the treasury market, Jane decided to explore new ground.
Today, she is part of the Sustainability Office within OCBC’s Global Wholesale Banking division. As the leader of the ESG intelligence team, she has moved from refining established market processes to building new systems in a rapidly evolving sector.
With the bank’s support for internal career moves, Jane found a new opportunity to grow within the Sustainability Office.
Exploring New Ground
Jane’s transition was supported by a workplace environment that encourages employees to expand their horizons. After years in her previous role, she felt the need to apply her project management and analytical skillsets in a new context.
"OCBC has also fostered a culture that supports internal mobility and encourages employees to explore opportunities across the group,” Jane shares. “This gave me the confidence to consider a different path, knowing that career development and cross-functional exposure are genuinely encouraged and valued."
Entering the sustainability space meant stepping into a field that was still being defined in Singapore. Jane explains how this created an atmosphere of collective growth rather than individual competition: "Sustainability at that time was relatively new in Singapore, and that was part of what drew me to it. Even the seniors and my teammates were learning how to navigate it together, which created a unique environment of shared discovery. It wasn’t just about stepping into a new role but stepping into a space where everyone was figuring things out collectively, building frameworks from scratch, and shaping what the work could look like."
Working in a new industry allowed Jane and her colleagues to learn from each other and grow collectively.
Building the Foundation with IBF
While Jane’s growth in sustainable finance was largely driven by hands-on experience, her formal journey began with a curiosity about the financial and strategic implications of one of the industry’s biggest buzzwords – sustainability. This led her to signing up for an IBF-recognised programme, “What has Sustainable Banking got to do with me?”.
The course served as a critical introduction to the world of ESG, helping Jane move beyond the layman’s perspective and gain a richer understanding of how Sustainable Finance directs money toward real-world change by balancing environmental goals with business value.
"Going through the programme was really my first formal step into the world of sustainability. It introduced key concepts like net zero, climate risk, and the broader ESG landscape, which helped me build a basic foundation, and understand the terminology and direction the industry is moving toward."
Developing New Capabilities
In her current role, Jane is focused on driving strategic value by rethinking how data and AI can improve existing processes. She notes that the work requires a forward-thinking mindset and a willingness to explore fresh ideas.
Despite the shift in subject matter, Jane has found that the systematic and analytical mindset she developed in her previous role remains her most valuable asset. This structured approach helps her deliver insights that are both thoughtful and actionable.
Jane’s analytical skills and curiosity have become her greatest strengths in her new role.
A Realistic View of Sustainable Finance
Reskilling has fundamentally changed Jane’s perspective on the role of sustainability in banking. She now views it not as a standalone discipline or a niche financing activity, but as a core enabler of real-economy transformation.
"Before reskilling, my view of Sustainable Finance was quite simplistic and binary, and I associated it mainly with financing green activities and preventing greenwashing. After reskilling, I now understand Sustainable Finance as a critical enabler of transition, not just an end-state."
Looking Ahead to a Future of Growth
Jane remains energised by the blank drawing board her current role provides. She aspires to continue growing in spaces that allow her to design and build new ideas from the ground up, moving from concept to a finished product that adds tangible value.
'Working in a sustainability-focused role has heightened that sense of meaning because it connects to the positive change I hope to influence in the world, making it especially motivating and fulfilling."
For other professionals considering a similar transition, Jane shares that "Sustainability can feel like a big, complex space, especially if you’re new to it or coming from a completely different background. If you are considering it, take the leap and be brave in starting over as a beginner."
IBF-accredited programmes in Sustainable Finance provide the foundational knowledge and technical skills to support professionals transitioning into the growing field of sustainable finance. Find out more here.
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