UOB Finance Academy launched to develop Singapore’s finance leaders

By Edil Corneille

United Overseas Bank (UOB) launched the training and development programme in Singapore which is focused on equipping employees in the bank’s finance function with soft and technical skills. UOB Finance Academy will arm participants with technical skills such as advanced data analytics to reinforce their analytical skills in evaluating commercial and business strategies.

Lee Wai Fai, Group Chief Financial Officer, UOB elucidated, “As with so many jobs, the role of a finance professional is changing as digital innovation impacts more areas of work. At UOB, we want to ensure that our people are equipped and ready to take on the opportunities that will come with ongoing transformation and change. The UOB Finance Academy charts clear and achievable milestones for our people in UOB’s Finance function to develop the necessary knowledge, mindset and skillsets to progress towards leadership roles in the finance industry.”

Participants will be able to cultivate soft skills necessary for them to communicate more effectively and build stronger relationships with stakeholders. As the breadth of their roles expand and their careers progress, participants will undergo a combination of in-house leadership programmes and a selection of external modules led by executive education provider Duke Corporate Education. These skills are expected to enable participants to be proficient and sought-after project leads, managers, and eventually leaders in executive roles.

Lydia Wee, Deputy CEO, IBF enthused, “IBF is delighted to support UOB’s plan to transform its workforce in Group Finance. Through this initiative, employees will be empowered with future-relevant skills and positioned to take on new opportunities. This is timely, given the accelerating pace of digitalisation and change in the industry.”

The inaugural cohort of the UOB Finance Academy will include all 230 employees of the bank’s finance function in Singapore. At the end of their training, participants will receive a certificate jointly issued by UOB and the IBF. The training is approved under Workforce Singapore’s Professional Conversion Programme (PCP).