Union Bancaire Privée’s head of North Asia is exiting after joining the Swiss private bank more than one year ago, finews.asia has learned.

Ivan Wong, head of North Asia and Hong Kong branch chief executive at UBP, has decided to retire, according to an internal memo seen by finews.asia. A successor has been identified and will be announced in due course.

Wong has 37 years of experience across investment, corporate and private banking. He joined UBP in November 2022 and prior to that, he worked at HSBC for nearly two decades, last as North Asia co-head of private banking. Previously, he also worked at Citi for eight years. 

Positive Performance

According to the memo from head of wealth management and Asia CEO Michael Blake, Wong steered UBP’s North Asia business out of the pandemic and strengthened its investment capabilities in Hong Kong. In the first quarter of 2024, the region recorded positive growth in net new money, revenue and credit.

«I would like to thank Ivan for his hard work, dedication and collegiate approach throughout his tenure with UBP and wish him all the best in his future endeavors,» Blake said. «We will invest significantly in North Asia this year, reflecting our confidence in Hong Kong as a wealth management hub and in Hong Kong’s capacity to rebound from recent macroeconomic challenges.»

When contacted, a spokesperson for the bank confirmed the contents of the memo.