UBS has hired former SMRT Corp chief executive Desmond Kuek as divisional vice chairman for global wealth management.
Desmond Kuek (pictured below), the former chief of local rail operator SMRT Corp, will join UBS on Feb 18, the Swiss bank said in a statement. UBS said Kuek’s experience as an executive, government official and board member will be of great value in strengthening its relationships with existing clients, forging new ones and growing the business across Asia Pacific.
Kuek will be based in Singapore, reporting to Joe Stadler, head of ultra high net worth, and Edmund Koh, president of UBS APAC. Previously president and group CEO of SMRT, Kwek stepped down from that role in April 2018.
Most Tumultuous Period
Kuek took over the helm of SMRT in October 2012, replacing interim CEO Tan Ek Kia, who had assumed the role after Saw Phaik Hwa resigned in January 2012. He led SMRT for almost six years, during what was probably its most tumultuous period.
Even though his tenure was marred by incidents such as deaths on the track and tunnel flooding, he was part of the team that rebuilt the reliability of the North-South and East-West lines.
