DBS appoints Abdul Raof Latiff as new DBS Malaysia country head

They also appointed a new Group Head of Digital for Institutional Banking last January to replace Latiff.

DBS has announced two new senior level organisational appointments, including a new country head for its Malaysian arm.

Abdul Raof Latiff will take over as DBS Malaysia country head beginning 1 June, succeeding current head Jeffrey Ling. Latiff is presently DBS’ group head of digital for institutional banking and group head of global transaction services (GTS) product management.

Lim Soon Chong will succeed Latiff as group head of digital for institutional banking and group head of GTS product management and has been appointed into his new role with effect from 1 January 2021. This is to allow for a smooth transition ahead of Latiff’s move into his new role in Malaysia, according to DBS.

Prior to DBS, Latiff held several senior regional positions at global banks, including Citigroup, J.P. Morgan and HSBC, and brings with him more than 25 years of banking experience in areas such as transaction banking, foreign exchange and treasury functions across the region.

Alongside his new country management responsibilities, Latiff will continue to oversee DBS’ Institutional Banking ecosystems and strategic platform partnerships.

Retiring head Ling will stay on as a senior advisor alongside Latiff to help continue the engagement with DBS’ key clients in Malaysia, with whom he has built great relationships over the years.

Ling has been with DBS since 1995 and has been integral in transforming DBS Malaysia from a small-and-medium-cap focused business into a large corporate franchise covering sovereign wealth funds, privately owned conglomerates and government-linked corporations, the bank stated.

Meanwhile, Lim has been with DBS for 15 years, taking on a myriad of assignments across a broad spectrum of functions in the consumer, wealth, risk management and corporate treasury spaces. Prior to his new role he served as DBS’ group head of investment products and advisory for the consumer banking and wealth franchise, where he reportedly spearheaded initiatives to enhance the bank’s wealth management and investment propositions.