Amala Balakrishner

DBS Bank is aiming to more than double its assets under management (AUM) to S$1 trillion (US$774.8 billion) across its affluent, high net worth (HNW), ultra high net worth (UHNW) and retail wealth businesses by 2030. To support the target, the bank plans to hire more than 600 frontline advisors and platform engineers by the end of the decade, while…

Deutsche Bank Private Bank has hired a former Citi executive for its Southeast Asia business, Asian Private Banker has learnt. Jennifer Tay Effective 3 August 2026, Jennifer Tay has been appointed as vice chairman for Southeast Asia at Deutsche Bank, according to an internal memo seen by APB. In her new role, she will focus on strengthening engagement with key…

VP Bank is advising its ultra high net worth (UHNW) clients to look beyond the software-driven generative AI hype and position themselves for the rise of “physical AI”. While digital language models have dominated market enthusiasm over the past few years, the Liechtenstein-headquartered private bank believes the next wave of value creation will occur in the physical world via humanoid…

A good defence is built long before a crisis arrives. The same principle applies to wealth planning, according to Angie Han, head of wealth planning for South Asia at Pictet Wealth Management. Just as a defender aims to prevent a dangerous situation rather than react at the last moment, wealthy families should put structures in place before succession challenges, liquidity…

Following the launch of its physical bullion-backed tokenised gold offering, DBS Bank is positioning its multi-channel precious metals suite to capture UHNW demand, recommending a 7% portfolio weight. Ongoing concerns over fiat currency debasement and prolonged geopolitical uncertainties continue to underpin gold demand, with each form of the precious metal having a “distinct and valuable” place in investors' portfolios, James…

Rapidly growing private wealth allocations to alternatives are exposing significant gaps in client understanding, from misinterpreting internal rates of return to expecting hedge funds to deliver equity-like upside with zero downside. James Burdis, J.P. Morgan AM Panellists at Asian Private Banker's Alternatives Selection Nexus 2026 warned that while democratisation has brought private credit and equity to a broader investor base,…

Fresh off his first 100 days as UBS Wealth Management's regional CIO for Southern Asia Pacific, James Cheo is settling into a role that places him at the intersection of the world's largest wealth manager's global investment platform and one of its most dynamic client markets. Having spent more than a decade advising Asia's wealthy across major private banks, Cheo's…

Bank of Singapore has halved its account-opening timeline to 15 business days using a new AI platform, the Singaporean bank said during a media briefing on Wednesday. Called HELIOS (Holistic wEalth Lifecycle Insights & Ongoing Surveillance), the platform cuts account-opening times to 15 business days – assuming no client document delays – well ahead of the Monetary Authority of Singapore's…

A decade ago, bankers frequently dismissed client inquiries about philanthropy as “money out the door.” Today, advisory around charitable giving has emerged as one of the most effective strategies for private banks to secure multi-generational client loyalty. According to Christoph Courth, global head of philanthropy services at Pictet Wealth Management, a combination of revised banker performance evaluations and soaring client…

Independent wealth manager WRISE Group has made an investment of HK$30 million (US$3.82 million) to establish WRISE AI Labs to accelerate AI adoption across the group. Launched on Thursday in Hong Kong, the lab will focus on automating routine client servicing and providing advanced analytics, giving advisers more capacity to focus on client relationships, Derrick Tan, group executive chairman of…