Chairmen
Purpose-driven leadership has propelled us to excel and make a difference in the communities we operate in. Learn more about the people who have guided us.
May 2010 - Present
Peter Seah
Mr Peter Seah joined the Board of Directors of DBS Group Holdings Ltd and DBS Bank Ltd on 16 November 2009 and assumed the role of Chairman on 1 May 2010. Under his leadership, DBS was recognised as Best Bank in the World multiple times and also recognised as the World's Best Digital Bank.
Peter received the Public Service Medal (Pingat Bakti Masyarakat) in the 1995 National Day Awards in recognition of his contribution to social and community services. He was awarded the Public Service Star (Bintang Bakti Masyarakat) in the 1999 National Day Awards for his role as Chairman of the Sub-Committee on Finance and Banking, Committee on Singapore's Competitiveness. Peter was also awarded the Distinguished Service Order in the 2012 National Day Awards. In 2021, Peter was bestowed the Order of Nila Utama (Distinction), one of Singapore's highest honours, for his contributions to the nation.
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Jan 2006 - Apr 2010
Koh Boon Hwee
Appointed 15 June 2005, Mr Koh Boon Hwee, 59, assumed the role of Chairman of the Board of Directors of DBS Group Holdings and DBS Bank Ltd on 1 January 2006.
After Mr Richard Stanley took leave of absence on 27 January 2009, Boon Hwee took on active management oversight and relinquished the same following Mr Piyush Gupta's appointment as Group CEO on 9 November 2009.
Said S Dhanabalan in 2005, "Boon Hwee is highly respected as a corporate visionary and widely admired among business leaders in Singapore and the region."
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Jul 1999 - Dec 2005
Suppiah (S) Dhanabalan
Appointed 1 July 1999, Mr S Dhanabalan worked in DBS Bank from 1968 to 1978 before spending 16 years as a Cabinet Minister in the Singapore government. Together with Mr Howe Yoon Chong, Dhanabalan led the bank's rapid growth to become, within the span of 10 years, the largest indigenous commercial bank in Singapore and the ninth largest in ASEAN, as it diversified from industrial financing to four other major areas of operations: commercial and international banking, merchant banking, investment activities and real estate operations. In 2015, Dhanabalan was conferred the nation's top civilian honour, the Order of Temasek (First Class).
Temasek chairman Lim Boon Heng said in 2015, "Dhanabalan was a leader, a mentor and a steward, steering the company through our transformative years against the backdrop of globalisation and volatility. His exemplary service as one of Singapore's outstanding leaders continues to be an inspiration to us all."
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Mar 1990 - May 1998
Ngiam Tong Dow
As youngest ever Permanent Secretary at age 33, Mr Ngiam Tong Dow thereafter became Chairman and CEO of DBS from March 1990 to May 1998. With the acquisition of The Post Office Savings Bank of Singapore, DBS became the largest bank in Southeast Asia with total assets of SGD 99 billion. Under Tong Dow's stewardship, the bank grew rapidly and the foundation was laid for its regional strategy.
Paying tribute to Tong Dow, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong said in 2020, "His ethos of discipline and prudence continues to define the bank today...His legacy will live on, and his contributions will touch the lives of many generations of Singaporeans to come."
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Feb 1985 - Feb 1990
Howe Yoon Chong
The second Chairman and President of DBS from 18 August 1970 to 13 February 1979, Mr Howe Yoon Chong opened the bank's first overseas office in Tokyo on 30 July 1976. After retiring from politics in 1984, he returned to be the Chairman and CEO from 1 February 1985 to 1 February 1990. Yoon Chong then drove DBS to enhance its services and technology, laying the foundation for the bank's leap into the next millennium.
Said Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong in 2007, "Mr Howe cared deeply for the country's development, and dedicated himself to improving the lives of his fellow citizens. Singaporeans are indebted to him for his devotion to public service, and his many outstanding contributions to our nation."
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Feb 1979 - Feb 1985
J Y M Pillay
Having been on the bank's board of directors from 1968 to 1970, Mr Joseph Yuvaraj (JY) Pillay became the Chairman of DBS from 13 February 1979 to February 1985. He drove the bank's digitisation efforts through the computerisation programme, to improve customer service and minimise costs. By 1984, the bank's after-tax profits had almost tripled. Pillay then relinquished his position in DBS, to become the Managing Director of the Monetary Authority of Singapore and Government of Singapore Investment Corporation Pte Ltd.
Described by then Senior Minister Lee Kuan Yew as "equal to the best brains in America", Pillay was awarded the National Day Honors in 2019 for his services to nation.
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Aug 1970 - Feb 1979
Howe Yoon Chong
The second Chairman and President of DBS from 18 August 1970 to 13 February 1979, Mr Howe Yoon Chong opened the bank's first overseas office in Tokyo on 30 July 1976. After retiring from politics in 1984, he returned to be the Chairman and CEO from 1 February 1985 to 1 February 1990. Yoon Chong then drove DBS to enhance its services and technology, laying the foundation for the bank's leap into the next millennium.
Said Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong in 2007, "Mr Howe cared deeply for the country's development, and dedicated himself to improving the lives of his fellow citizens. Singaporeans are indebted to him for his devotion to public service, and his many outstanding contributions to our nation."
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1968 - Aug 1970
Hon Sui Sen
Mr Hon Sui Sen was the first Chairman and President of the Development Bank of Singapore, from 1968 to August 1970. In addition to long-term financing, Sui Sen positioned the bank to provide a full range of technical and managerial consultant services. In November 1968, Sui Sen brought the bank to the market, listing its shares on the Stock Exchange of Malaysia and Singapore, the predecessor of the Stock Exchanges of Singapore and Kuala Lumpur.
In 1984, Sui Sen was awarded posthumously the Order of Temasek (First Class) — Singapore's top civilian honour — for his role in transforming Singapore from a small fishing village to the modern Singapore it is today.
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