OCBC announced yesterday that Ms Elaine Lam Su Yen had been appointed the head for its global corporate banking in April.

The unit handles corporate financing for big companies here and overseas. Ms Lam, 44, took up the role following the retirement of Mr George Lee.

Ms Lam is responsible for OCBC's wholesale corporate marketing, its China business office and corporate banking business in all overseas offices, among other areas.

Chief executive officer Samuel Tsien said the appointment shows that OCBC's emphasis on talent development has continued to bear fruit. "Almost all our senior management roles are filled by talent who were groomed internally. I am confident that Elaine - with her strong track record in corporate banking and experience in working with large corporations locally and globally - will take our corporate banking business to new heights," Mr Tsien said in a statement.

Ms Lam joined OCBC 15 years ago as a relationship manager, became co-head of wholesale corporate marketing in 2005, and helped set up a regional structured and project finance business in 2011.

Mr Lee, 63, remains an adviser to OCBC Malaysia. He joined the bank in 1999 as capital markets head and helped establish the Mezzanine Capital unit, a private equity platform within OCBC.

Wong Wei Han