Leadership in Asian banking has never been a path of least resistance, especially for women. It has required navigating cultural expectations that weren’t designed with them in mind, systems that were, and the relentless pressure of competing in some of the world’s most demanding financial markets.
And yet, the most consequential decisions in Asian banking today, like steering digital transformation, managing the region’s historic wealth transfer, and building the infrastructure that will define the next decade of finance, are being made by women. Women who have earned their seats through decades of expertise.
From the CEOs of multinational giants to the architects of Asia’s most disruptive fintechs, these are the female leaders driving the region’s financial future.
Top Banking Female Leaders in Asia in 2026
These 11 leaders sit at the helm of some of Asia’s most influential banks and financial institutions, leading from vantage points like digital transformation to capital markets and sustainable finance.
Tan Su Shan, CEO, DBS Group
While her experience spans over 35 years across consumer banking, wealth management, and institutional finance in Singapore, Hong Kong, Tokyo, and London, perhaps what defines Su Shan most is what she built outside of it.
In 2001, she founded the Financial Women’s Association of Singapore, a non-profit dedicated to developing and mentoring women in finance. She is actively involved in charitable causes across Singapore.
Ng Wei Wei, CEO, UOB Malaysia
A career banker with over two decades across senior country and regional roles at global financial institutions in Asia, Ng Wei Wei leads with results and intention.
Under her watch, UOB Malaysia has claimed Malaysia’s Best Bank at Global Finance’s World’s Best Bank Awards 2025 and both Best Bank and Best Sustainable Bank at the 2025 FinanceAsia Awards.
Bonnie Y Chan, CEO, Hong Kong Exchange and Clearing Limited (HKEX)
With over 30 years of global capital markets expertise, Bonnie Y Chan has played a vital role in transforming Hong Kong Exchange and Clearing Limited (HKEX) into a leading global exchange group. Chan is a regular voice at the World Economic Forum and a member of its Centre for Financial and Monetary Systems Advisory Council.
Pei Si Lai, Group CEO, GXS Bank
Pei Si Lai has 25 years of international banking experience across Singapore, Brunei, and Malaysia, covering consumer and corporate finance, product management, governance, and operations.
As a founding member of GXBank, she led the build from scratch and launched Malaysia’s first digital bank in 2023.
She now serves as the Group Chief Executive Officer of GXS Bank.
Ye-Chin Chiou, Chairperson, First Bank & First Financial Holding
As Chairperson of First Bank and First Financial Holding, Ye-Chin Chiou is said to be the only female chairperson of a state-controlled financial institution in Taiwan, according to the Tatler Asia. Under her purview, First Bank has retained its position as an SME loan leader for 13 consecutive years.
Ana Maria A Delgado, Executive Director, UnionBank
Ana Maria Aboitiz-Delgado is a UnionBank original. She started as a Product Manager in Retail Banking and worked her way up through institutional banking, customer experience, SME lending, and consumer finance before taking the top seat.
That experience across the bank’s own DNA is what makes her leadership distinct. Today, she sits at the helm of UnionBank as President and CEO, while also serving as Director across City Savings Bank, UnionDigital Bank, and publicly listed Aboitiz Equity Ventures.
Vera Eve Lim, MD and CFO, PT Bank Central Asia
Vera Eve Lim serves as the Director and CFO of PT Bank Central Asia (BCA), one of Indonesia’s largest banks. Since 2018, Vera Eve Lim has overseen many things. She takes charge of corporate planning and strategy, investor relations, communications, and governance, all while steering the bank’s growing ESG investment agenda.
It’s a wide portfolio, and one she has held with authority for nearly a decade.
Maggie Ng, CEO, HSBC HK (Hong Kong)
Maggie Ng joined HSBC in 2020 as Head of Wealth and Personal Banking, Hong Kong, and has since overseen significant growth in what is HSBC’s largest retail banking and wealth management market. With over 20 years in finance, her expertise cuts across wealth management, digital transformation, customer advocacy, and risk.
She now holds dual responsibility: as CEO of HSBC Hong Kong and as the Head of Retail Banking & Wealth in the organisation.
Lynette V. Ortiz, President & CEO, Landbank of the Philippines
Lynette V. Ortiz has spent over three decades building one of the most well-rounded banking careers, accumulating deep expertise in risk management, treasury, corporate finance, and capital markets across major global and domestic institutions.
Now at the helm of Landbank, a P3.4 trillion institution, Ortiz leads with clear intent: to sustain stronger capital and a commitment to serving clients efficiently and on time.
Kattiya Indaravijaya, CEO, KASIKORNBANK
Kattiya Indaravijaya is a trailblazer. She is the first non-family and one of the first female CEOs among top-tier banks in Southeast Asia. Her story with KASIKORNBANK began in 1987 as a fresh recruit, before a KBank scholarship took her abroad and brought her back, committed.
Over three decades, she has moved across corporate strategy, digital transformation, investment banking, retail, finance, marketing, and HR. Under her watch, KBank has cemented its position in Thailand across digital payments, mobile banking, and wealth management.
Raja Teh Maimunah, incoming CEO, Bank Islam
YM Raja Datin Paduka Teh Maimunah Raja Abdul Aziz will close out her tenure as CEO of AEON Bank in March 2026 before stepping into her next chapter as Group CEO of Bank Islam Malaysia, effective 1 April 2026.
With 30 years across the financial sector, including senior roles at AmBank Group and Hong Leong Islamic Bank, her credentials are formidable. But perhaps her most defining mark came at Bursa Malaysia, where she is said to have pioneered the world’s first Shariah-compliant commodity trading platform.
Redefining Power at the Helm of Asian Banking
From the pioneering Shariah-compliant platforms of Raja Teh Maimunah to the digital-first move of Pei Si Lai, these executives are proving that the future of banking is about moving society.
As we look toward the remainder of 2026 and beyond, the influence of these women will only deepen. They are ensuring that the ladder they climbed remains sturdy for the next generation.
More importantly, they are normalising female leadership at the highest levels of banking, ensuring that the path upward is no longer an exception but an expectation for the generation that follows.
