OCBC Bank

Corporate brand

A Singapore-headquartered banking group providing retail, corporate, wealth-management, insurance and investment services across Asia and selected global markets.

Last updated August 31, 2026

AI crawler reads

No AI crawler has read this profile since Oct 28, 2026.

Overview

OCBC Bank, formally Oversea-Chinese Banking Corporation Limited and commonly branded as OCBC, is a Singaporean multinational banking and financial-services group. It is one of Singapore’s three major local banking groups and, by the end of 2024, ranked as the second-largest bank in Southeast Asia by assets, with reported assets of S$625.1 billion. The group operates more than 400 branches and representative offices in 19 countries, with its principal overseas businesses in Malaysia, Indonesia, mainland China, Hong Kong and Macau. The bank was created on 31 October 1932 through the merger of three Singapore-based Chinese banks: Chinese Commercial Bank, founded in 1912; Ho Hong Bank, founded in 1917; and Oversea-Chinese Bank, founded in 1919. Lee Kong Chian played a central role in organizing the merger and later became the institution’s chairman. Tan Ean Kiam, who had been associated with Oversea-Chinese Bank, was also an important early leader. OCBC began operations in February 1933 and inherited a substantial regional network serving Chinese commercial communities in the Straits Settlements and neighboring markets. Its early development was shaped by wartime disruption, post-war reconstruction and the political changes surrounding Malaya, Singapore and Indonesia. During the Japanese occupation, the bank temporarily moved its head office to Bombay and re-established its Singapore registration after the war. OCBC later rebuilt operations in Indonesia and expanded its connections with China. The bank’s historic Xiamen presence, established in 1925 before the merger, became part of its long-running mainland-China franchise. OCBC grew rapidly in Singapore during the post-war decades. Its assets exceeded S$1 billion by 1970 and S$7 billion by the end of 1981. In 1972 it acquired Four Seas Communications Bank, extending its historical relationship with the Teochew community. The completion of OCBC Centre in 1976 gave the bank a distinctive headquarters designed by architect I. M. Pei. In 1989 the institution adopted the shorter public identity “OCBC Bank” and introduced a new corporate logo. The modern group combines banking with insurance, securities brokerage, private banking and asset management. Key businesses include OCBC’s consumer and commercial banking operations; Bank of Singapore, its wholly owned private-banking subsidiary; Great Eastern Holdings, the insurance group in which OCBC became the controlling shareholder; Lion Global Investors; OCBC Securities; and regional banking subsidiaries including OCBC Bank Malaysia, Bank OCBC NISP in Indonesia, OCBC China, OCBC Bank (Hong Kong) and OCBC (Macau). Major strategic steps included the 2001 acquisition and integration of Keppel TatLee Bank and related businesses, the acquisition of Great Eastern in 2004, the purchase of ING Asia Private Bank in 2009, and the acquisition of Hong Kong’s Wing Hang Bank in 2014. The latter substantially expanded OCBC’s Hong Kong, Macau and mainland-China capabilities. In 2023 the mainland business adopted the OCBC China brand, while the Hong Kong and Macau subsidiaries also moved away from the former Wing Hang names. OCBC positions itself as a broad Asian financial-services provider emphasizing stability, regional connectivity and integrated banking, wealth and insurance solutions. It has invested in digital banking, small-business technology and customer-facing financial applications, including a partnership with Xero to help small and medium-sized enterprises digitize their accounting and operating processes. In 2024 it introduced OCBC MyOwn Account, designed for children aged seven to fifteen with parental controls. The group has also received strong external credit ratings and banking-industry safety and quality rankings, although it has faced regulatory criticism over anti-money-laundering controls and customer-impacting service disruptions.

History

OCBC was formed in 1932 when Chinese Commercial Bank, Ho Hong Bank and Oversea-Chinese Bank combined their resources. The merger created a strong Singapore-based institution at a time when local banks served the commercial networks of the Straits Settlements and the wider Malay region. Lee Kong Chian was central to the merger and later chaired the bank from 1938 until shortly before his death in 1967. OCBC commenced operations in February 1933. The bank’s international history predates its formal creation. Its Xiamen branch opened in 1925 and survived the Second World War. During the Japanese occupation, Singapore’s banks briefly closed and OCBC moved its head office to Bombay, India. Following the war, the bank re-established branches in Indonesia and resumed its regional activities. Political change subsequently affected those operations: branches in Indonesia closed during the 1963 Indonesia–Malaysia conflict, while OCBC’s Burmese branches were nationalized by the revolutionary government. OCBC expanded strongly in Singapore after the war. It surpassed S$1 billion in assets in 1970 and S$7 billion by the end of 1981. Its 1972 acquisition of Four Seas Communications Bank added the oldest surviving Chinese bank in Singapore to the group. The OCBC Centre, designed by I. M. Pei, was completed in 1976 and remains the group’s best-known headquarters. In 1989 the bank adopted the OCBC Bank name and a revised corporate identity. The group’s modern diversification accelerated with the acquisition of Keppel Capital Holdings and associated businesses in 2001. The transaction brought Keppel TatLee Bank, Keppel Securities and Keppel TatLee Finance into the group; the banking businesses were integrated by February 2002. OCBC subsequently strengthened its insurance, wealth and regional banking platforms. It acquired Great Eastern Holdings in 2004, combined its asset-management operations with Great Eastern’s Straits Lion business in 2005, and renamed the resulting asset manager Lion Global Investors in 2008. In 2009 OCBC acquired ING Asia Private Bank. The acquired business was combined with OCBC Private Bank to establish Bank of Singapore in January 2010. OCBC also expanded in Indonesia through its investment in Bank NISP, eventually raising its stake and renaming the institution Bank OCBC NISP before merging it with OCBC Indonesia. In Malaysia, OCBC developed OCBC Al-Amin Bank, a wholly owned Islamic-banking subsidiary established in 2008. A major regional transaction occurred in 2014, when OCBC acquired Hong Kong’s Wing Hang Bank. The purchase gave OCBC a larger presence in Hong Kong, Macau and mainland China. Wing Hang was subsequently rebranded as OCBC Wing Hang Bank, and the Hong Kong and Macau subsidiaries adopted OCBC names in 2023. OCBC China also became the group’s new mainland-China brand in 2023. In the 2010s and 2020s, OCBC focused on digital services, business technology and integrated financial propositions. Its 2020 partnership with Xero supported digital tools for small and medium-sized enterprises, while HealthPass provided an online healthcare-consultation application in Singapore. The bank launched MyOwn Account in October 2024 for children aged seven to fifteen, combining a child-held account and debit card with parental controls. Alongside innovation, OCBC has continued to emphasize capital strength, regional banking, wealth management and insurance through its OCBC, Bank of Singapore, Great Eastern and Lion Global Investors businesses.

2024
MyOwn Account launched
[1]OCBC Banken.wikipedia.org
OCBC launched a child-focused account and debit-card product with parental controls.
2023
Greater China businesses rebranded
[1]OCBC Banken.wikipedia.org
The mainland-China business adopted OCBC China, while the Hong Kong and Macau subsidiaries adopted OCBC names.
2020
Xero partnership and HealthPass launch
[1]OCBC Banken.wikipedia.org
OCBC partnered with Xero for SME digitization and launched the HealthPass healthcare application.
2014
Wing Hang Bank acquired
[1]OCBC Banken.wikipedia.org
OCBC acquired Hong Kong-based Wing Hang Bank, expanding its Greater China franchise.
2009
ING Asia Private Bank acquired
[1]OCBC Banken.wikipedia.org
The acquisition created the foundation for Bank of Singapore.
2004
Great Eastern acquired
[1]OCBC Banken.wikipedia.org
OCBC acquired control of insurance group Great Eastern Holdings.
2001
Keppel TatLee acquisition
[1]OCBC Banken.wikipedia.org
OCBC acquired Keppel Capital Holdings and related banking, securities and finance businesses.
1989
Corporate identity refreshed
[1]OCBC Banken.wikipedia.org
The bank adopted the OCBC Bank name and a new logo.
1976
OCBC Centre completed
[1]OCBC Banken.wikipedia.org
The I. M. Pei-designed OCBC Centre became the group’s headquarters.
1972
Four Seas Communications Bank acquired
[1]OCBC Banken.wikipedia.org
OCBC acquired the historic Singapore bank founded as Sze Hai Tong Bank.
1933
Operations begin
[1]OCBC Banken.wikipedia.org
The newly merged bank began operating in Singapore in February.
1932
Formation of OCBC
[1]OCBC Banken.wikipedia.org
Chinese Commercial Bank, Ho Hong Bank and Oversea-Chinese Bank merged to form Oversea-Chinese Banking Corporation.

Products and positioning

A major Asian financial-services group built around Singapore banking, regional scale, integrated wealth and insurance capabilities, and a reputation for financial strength and conservatism.

Retail banking
OCBC 360 Account
A flagship personal banking account designed to reward qualifying customer behaviors and relationships, such as salary crediting, bill payment, card spending and other banking activity. It represents OCBC’s emphasis on bundled, relationship-based retail banking.
Retail banking · 2024
OCBC MyOwn Account
A child-focused account introduced for customers aged seven to fifteen. The account is registered in the child’s name and supports digital operation and a debit card within boundaries and controls established by parents.
Private banking · 2010
Bank of Singapore
OCBC’s wholly owned private-banking subsidiary, created by combining ING Asia Private Bank with OCBC Private Bank. It serves wealthy individuals and families across Asia and other international markets through private-banking, wealth-planning and investment services.
Insurance
Great Eastern
An insurance group controlled by OCBC and distributed through tied agencies and bancassurance channels. Great Eastern operates primarily in Singapore and Malaysia, with additional activities in Indonesia and Brunei.
Islamic banking · 2008
OCBC Al-Amin
OCBC’s wholly owned Islamic-banking subsidiary in Malaysia, offering Shariah-compliant financial products and services under the supervision of its Shariah Advisory Committee.
Securities brokerage · 1986
OCBC Securities
A wholly owned securities-brokerage subsidiary and member of Singapore’s securities and derivatives exchanges, providing brokerage and related investment services.

Controversies

2023
Wirecard-related anti-money-laundering breach
The Monetary Authority of Singapore fined OCBC S$600,000 for deficiencies in examining unusual transactions and verifying customer ownership and control information in a matter associated with the Wirecard scandal.
Source
2022
OCBC introduces security measures after SMS phishing scams
OCBC Bank announced and implemented security measures following SMS phishing scams in which nearly 470 customers lost $8.5 million the previous month. Measures included instant transfer alerts, lower default PayNow limits, and a permanent customer service team for fraud reports.
Source
2021
OCBC phishing-scam incident
Nearly 470 customers lost approximately S$8.5 million after scammers used SMS messages impersonating OCBC to obtain online-banking credentials. OCBC later announced full goodwill payouts for affected victims.
Source

2024
Launch of OCBC MyOwn AccountProduct launch
Background
OCBC identified younger customers as a segment requiring early financial-literacy and digital-banking products.
Action taken
The bank launched a child-held account and debit card for ages seven to fifteen, subject to parental controls.
Aftermath
The product expanded OCBC’s retail proposition to Generation Alpha customers while retaining parental oversight.
Source
2020
SME digitization partnership with XeroStrategy
Background
Small and medium-sized business customers increasingly needed integrated cloud accounting and digital operating tools.
Action taken
OCBC partnered with Xero to support digitization for SME customers.
Aftermath
The partnership extended OCBC’s business-banking proposition beyond conventional lending and payments.
Source
2014
Acquisition of Wing Hang BankM&A
Background
OCBC pursued a larger presence in Hong Kong, Macau and mainland China through the purchase of a well-established regional bank.
Action taken
OCBC acquired Wing Hang Bank and subsequently integrated and rebranded the business.
Aftermath
The transaction created OCBC’s Hong Kong and Macau banking subsidiaries and expanded its Greater China network.
Offer value. Nearly US$5 billion announced offer (2014)
Source
2009
Creation of Bank of SingaporeM&A
Background
OCBC wanted to expand its private-banking and wealth-management capabilities.
Action taken
OCBC acquired ING Asia Private Bank and combined it with OCBC Private Bank.
Aftermath
Bank of Singapore became the group’s principal private-banking platform, serving wealthy customers across Asia and other regions.
Source
2004
Acquisition of Great Eastern HoldingsM&A
Background
OCBC sought to broaden its financial-services model beyond banking and strengthen its insurance and bancassurance capabilities.
Action taken
OCBC completed a voluntary cash offer and acquired control of Great Eastern Holdings.
Aftermath
Great Eastern became a core insurance pillar of the OCBC group and continued operating through agency and bancassurance channels.
Source

Recent events

2026-11-03
DKSH secures CHF 100 million sustainability-linked loan from OCBC[4]DKSH获得OCBC提供的1亿瑞郎可持续发展挂钩贷款finanznachrichten.de
Reported: 2026-11-03
DKSH entered into a five-year CHF 100 million sustainability-linked loan with OCBC, tying its financing terms to sustainability performance and emissions-reduction targets.
Unconfirmed
BW ESS secures financing for Hams Hall BESS[5]BW ESS为Hams Hall电池储能系统获得融资solarpowerportal.co.uk
Reported: 2026-10-22
BW ESS secured debt financing for its 350MW/1,243MWh Hams Hall battery energy storage system. The transaction will close when the system reaches commercial operation.
2022-01-21
OCBC introduces security measures after SMS phishing scams[3]OCBC introduces security measures after SMS phishing scamsstraitstimes.com
Reported: 2022-01-21
OCBC Bank announced and implemented security measures following SMS phishing scams in which nearly 470 customers lost $8.5 million the previous month. Measures included instant transfer alerts, lower default PayNow limits, and a permanent customer service team for fraud reports.
2021-11-29
OCBC Bank acquires stakes in Solomartel real estate funds[6]OCBC Bank收购Solomartel房地产基金股权news.webindia123.com
Reported: 2021-11-29
OCBC Bank acquired stakes in multiple Solomartel real estate funds holding properties in several markets, including India, Sri Lanka, the United States, Morocco and others.
2021-11-04
ESR secures $944 million sustainability-linked loan[7]ESR获得9.44亿美元可持续发展挂钩贷款sbr.com.sg
Reported: 2021-11-04
ESR Cayman Limited secured a $944 million sustainability-linked corporate facility from a consortium of international and Asian banks. The facility has three-year and five-year tranches, and includes interest reductions tied to achieving targets.
2021-10-19
Sustainability Exchange launches its second edition with Facebook and OCBC Bank[8]Sustainability Exchange与Facebook及华侨银行合作推出第二期eco-business.com
EB Impact launched the second edition of its Sustainability Exchange youth-mentorship programme in Singapore in partnership with Facebook and OCBC Bank. Facebook continued its support, and OCBC Bank joined as a strategic partner.
2021-09-09
Keppel announces proposed pricing of $400 million perpetual securities[9]Keppel 宣布 4 亿美元永续证券的拟议定价sbr.com.sg
Reported: 2021-09-09
Keppel Corporation announced the proposed pricing of $400 million in perpetual securities. The securities have no fixed redemption date, and their stated distribution rate is 2.9% from September 16, 2021 to September 16, 2026.
2021-02-09
Mapletree Logistics Trust secures a S$200 million green loan[10]Mapletree Logistics Trust 获得 2 亿新元绿色贷款businesstimes.com.sg
Reported: 2021-02-09
Mapletree Logistics Trust secured a S$200 million green revolving credit facility through an agreement entered into by two subsidiaries, with OCBC Bank as the sole lender.
2021-01-08
OCBC appoints Helen Wong as group CEO[11]华侨银行任命黄碧娟为集团首席执行官businesstimes.com.sg
Reported: 2021-01-08
OCBC Bank appointed Helen Wong as group chief executive, succeeding Samuel Tsien, who was to retire on April 14.
Unconfirmed
SOCASH and OCBC expand cardless cash withdrawal access[12]SOCASH与华侨银行扩大无卡取现服务覆盖范围sbr.com.sg
Reported: 2020-09-29
SOCASH’s network was integrated with OCBC’s PayAnyone app, allowing OCBC customers to withdraw cash from more than 1,500 retail outlets. The article describes the arrangement as a partnership.

Showing the 10 most recent.

Sources28 sources

Cite this profile: Cite the canonical profile. /brand-wiki/ocbc-bank · Editorial policy · How profiles are compiled