Maybank wishes to announce the appointment of Dato’ John Chong Eng Chuan as the new Group Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Community Financial Services (CFS) effective 18 July 2018, taking over from Datuk Lim Hong Tat who will retire from Maybank effective that same day.
Dato' John, who is currently the CEO of Maybank Investment Bank (Maybank IB) & Maybank Kim Eng (MKE), has 25 years of experience in investment banking with the Maybank Group, having joined Maybank IB (then Aseambankers Malaysia Berhad) in March 1993 as an officer in the Banking Department.
Within nine years, he was appointed Head of Debt Capital Markets (DCM), and was instrumental in establishing Maybank Group’s DCM business and leading it to its current top-ranking position in Malaysia, ASEAN and globally for sukuk. At its helm, Dato' John completed numerous landmark transactions encompassing bond and sukuk issuances, syndicated loans and project financing.
In July 2010, Dato' John was appointed Managing Director and Head of Client Coverage Private Sector, and was tasked to develop and implement the Group’s very first Client Coverage model. In this role, Dato' John was responsible for overseeing client relationships, origination and business development of Maybank’s Global Banking corporate clients in Malaysia and regionally and was instrumental in expanding the reach of Maybank’s Client Coverage team across the region.
In January 2013, Dato’ John was appointed Deputy CEO of Maybank IB and in September of the same year, assumed the role as Interim Officer-In-Charge of the investment bank as well as Acting Head of MKE, prior to being officially appointed the CEO of Maybank IB & MKE in February 2014. Under his leadership, MKE established itself as one of ASEAN’s leading investment banks while maintaining its leadership in Malaysia. Maybank IB was also named Best Investment Bank in Malaysia by Euromoney for 3 succeeding years, from 2015 to 2017.
Dato' John holds a Bachelor of Economics (Hons) degree from the University of Queensland, in Brisbane, Australia. He is a Chartered Banker of the Asian Institute of Chartered Bankers and has also completed the Advanced Management Program at the Harvard Business School.
Datuk Lim Hong Tat, meanwhile, joined Maybank in 1981 after graduating as a scholar of the Bank. In his 37 years of service with the Group, he has held major roles - from managing branches, regional offices, credit card and international banking operations as well as Director/President & CEO of Maybank Philippines Inc, Head of International Banking, Head of Consumer Banking, and now Group CEO, CFS.
During his leadership as Group CEO, CFS and CEO Singapore, which he assumed on 1 January 2014, he was instrumental in leading and steering both businesses to significantly new heights of performance and growth.
Datuk Lim was the first Malaysian Banker to be awarded the Retail Banker of the Year by The Asian Banker in 2014 – which is given to the most accomplished leader in the retail banking industry in Asia Pacific and the Middle East.
In 2017, he was awarded the Private Banker International & Retail Banker International CEPI Asia Leadership Award – Individual (the most prestigious individual award) at the 4th Annual Cards & Electronics Payments International Award, and the Asian Banker of the Year by Fortune Times Magazine.
Group President & CEO, Datuk Abdul Farid Alias said that Datuk Lim, who has been an integral part of Maybank over the years, had played a major part in the Group’s transformation particularly given his in depth knowledge and experience in the consumer banking sector.
“The Group would like to thank him for his charismatic and passionate leadership, as well as his commitment and dedication which have played a key role in strengthening Maybank’s franchise in the region,” he said.
Datuk Farid added that Dato’ John is the ideal successor for the post of Group CEO, CFS as he has been a part of the Group’s senior management for many years and cultivated strong relationships with local and regional stakeholders that will hold him in good stead in his new role.
“His wide experience and in-depth knowledge of Maybank Group’s operations, positions him well to steer CFS to the next level to enable us to realise our strategic objective of becoming the Top ASEAN Community Bank,” he added.
Maybank is currently in the process of identifying suitable successor candidates for the CEO role in Maybank IB and MKE and an announcement will be made in due course, once necessary regulatory approvals have been secured. Dato’ John will continue to lead MKE and Maybank IB until further advised.