Insurer Prudential Singapore has appointed banker Dennis Tan as its new chief executive.

Mr Tan, 51, was formerly head of OCBC Bank's consumer financial services in Singapore.

He is taking over from Mr Wilfred Blackburn, who will move to Hong Kong as the regional chief executive in insurance growth markets.

Mr Tan joined OCBC in September 2009 and became the head of consumer financial services in Singapore in 2012 and executive vice-president in 2013.

He was also overseeing its consumer banking business here.

Mr Tan had previously spent 16 years at Citibank Singapore, where he led the sales and distribution, wealth management and retail banking teams. He has a bachelor of science in business from Indiana University in the United States.

Prudential said yesterday that Mr Blackburn will remain as CEO until Mr Tan gets regulatory approval. Mr Blackburn, who joined Prudential Corporation Asia in Hong Kong in 2012, has about three decades of life insurance experience.