Executive Director, Group Governance, Risk & Compliance Office

About UOB

United Overseas Bank Limited (UOB) is a leading bank in Asia with a global network of more than 500 branches and offices in 19 countries and territories in Asia Pacific, Europe and North America. In Asia, we operate through our head office in Singapore and banking subsidiaries in China, Indonesia, Malaysia and Thailand, as well as branches and offices. Our history spans more than 80 years. Over this time, we have been guided by our values – Honorable, Enterprising, United and Committed. This means we always strive to do what is right, build for the future, work as one team and pursue long-term success. It is how we work, consistently, be it towards the company, our colleagues or our customers.

Job Description

The Group Governance, Risk & Compliance Office (GGRC) plays a central role in safeguarding the Bank’s long-standing reputation for prudence, strong governance and disciplined risk management across the region. The bank has significantly expanded its regional footprint, customer base and operational complexity, and this next phase of growth calls for continued strengthening and alignment of governance standards, risk oversight and conduct expectations across jurisdictions.

Reporting to the Deputy Head of GGRC, the ED, GGRC will play a pivotal role in enhancing the Group’s enterprise risk governance architecture. The successful candidate will drive the integration of conduct, behavioral and compliance risk considerations into established risk management frameworks, ensuring governance practices remain robust, forward-looking and aligned with evolving regulatory expectations.

This is a high-impact leadership opportunity for a seasoned governance professional who seeks not only to uphold strong risk discipline, but to shape governance standards across a dynamic regional platform — and to leave a meaningful mark in a geography undergoing sustained growth and transformation.

Key Responsibilities:

Board & Committee Support

• Serve as Secretariat for the Risk and Capital Committee, supporting the Board Risk Management Committee and the Board on all risk-related matters.
• Serve as Secretariat for the Culture & Conduct Committee, ensuring robust governance, effective escalation, and timely reporting of conduct and behavioural risk matters.
• Provide strategic oversight and thought leadership on culture and conduct risk themes to senior management and the Board.

Governance & Risk Management

• Lead the Group’s Behavioural Risk Management programme, embedding conduct standards and cultural risk considerations into the enterprise risk management framework.
• Oversee the development, implementation, and upkeep of the Group Risk Appetite Framework, ensuring conduct and non-financial risks are clearly articulated, measurable and monitored.
• Own and evolve Group-wide risk governance frameworks, including the Group Risk Governance Framework and Step in Risk considerations, integrating culture and accountability principles.
• Drive compliance with BCBS239 for effective risk data aggregation and reporting, including leading the Group’s Independent Validation efforts.
• Develop and maintain a structured approach to identifying, assessing and monitoring culture, conduct and compliance risk indicators across the Group.

Regulatory & External Reporting

• Oversee preparation and delivery of the Group’s Quarterly Pillar 3 Disclosures and relevant sections of the Group’s Annual Report.
• Ensure regulatory reporting and supervisory engagement reflect a robust approach to governance, culture and conduct risk management.
• Anticipate and interpret evolving regulatory expectations relating to individual accountability, conduct risk and organisational culture.

Strategic Leadership & Business Management

• Serve as the Business Manager for GGRC, overseeing internal communications, people initiatives, budgeting, and administrative functions.
• Drive strategic initiatives to strengthen governance maturity, risk culture and accountability frameworks across the Group.
• Represent the Group in industry-wide governance and conduct risk initiatives.

What We are Looking For:

This role plays a critical leadership position in strengthening the Group’s governance architecture, with particular focus on embedding culture, conduct and compliance risk considerations into enterprise risk management. The ideal candidate will possess a strong appreciation of behavioural and cultural drivers of risks and demonstrate the ability to incorporate conduct and organisational culture considerations into structured governance, risk appetite and control frameworks.

• Proven senior leadership experience in governance, enterprise risk management, or compliance within financial services or highly regulated environments.
• Strong understanding of regulatory expectations, risk governance frameworks, risk reporting standards, and board governance protocols and reporting.
• Demonstrated experience in managing non-financial risks, including conduct, behavioural or culture-related risk dimensions.
• Strong grasp of risk appetite frameworks and the integration of qualitative and behavioural indicators into measurable governance metrics.
• Exceptional communication and influencing skills, with the ability to provide credible challenge at Executive and Board level.
• A strategic mindset with an ability to translate regulatory and cultural expectations into structured frameworks and sustainable operating models.
• High integrity, sound judgement, and a strong sense of accountability.
• Experience engaging regulators and senior stakeholders on governance and governance and accountability matters.

Additional Requirements

Be a Part of the UOB Family

UOB is an equal opportunity employer. UOB does not discriminate on the basis of a candidate's age, race, gender, color, religion, sexual orientation, physical or mental disability, or other non-merit factors. All employment decisions at UOB are based on business needs, job requirements and qualifications. If you require any assistance or accommodations to be made for the recruitment process, please inform us when you submit your online application.

Apply now and make a Difference