Being part of an innovative, inspiring and caring bank

Hi, I am Pamela and I have been in the banking industry for a decade. I just joined OCBC Bank and have been here for three months. I’m currently with the Implementation & Client Services team within Global Transaction Banking, and I’m the primary contact person for our top-tier local and multinational corporations. My work involves handling cash management for corporate clients, sharing the best practices in the market, educating them on digitalisation, moving them from paper to paperless online platforms, and monitoring how they manage their liquidity and cash flow. We aim to partner and grow together with clients in the region.

An innovative and collaborative culture

I joined OCBC as I see potential growth in the Bank’s near future. Innovation and collaboration are part of the Bank’s DNA, and this was definitely a pull factor for choosing OCBC. I strongly believe that OCBC will have a breakthrough within the innovation and digitalisation space as the Bank has a highly collaborative culture, which is a necessary trait for innovation. An individual may have an innovative idea, but it takes teamwork and collaboration to bring it to life. I see a lot of solutions that I can explore with the Bank, and that makes me excited!

With this Simply Spot On combination, we will aim to be ‘The Bank’ for a better future.

Innovating the ATM

This beautiful marriage of innovation and collaboration recently resulted in the birth of a customer-focused ATM project. When a customer goes to an OCBC ATM, the Bank can identify the person in just six seconds, allowing them to withdraw money seamlessly by simply keying in their preliminary details. We worked closely with external vendors to integrate facial recognition technology and solutions into our internal banking and ATM systems, and collaborated with the Singapore government to handle our customers’ data. This industry-first innovation had been in the works for a year. After user testing, we launched it in Feb 2022.

Another example of innovation through digitalisation and collaboration was when we partnered with the Singapore government to launch a solution that allows our customers to use SingPass to log into their accounts. This definitely shows a sustainable growth in the banking space!

Balancing family and work

I enjoy working at the Bank, but I also love my family! As a mother of two kids, having a good work-life balance is important to me. It's crucial that my employer cares for not just my career growth, but also my role as a wife and mother. At OCBC Bank, we don’t choose one over the other. We have a family-oriented culture and our management is very supportive of working parents, which gives me the courage to build my career here. At work, my bosses give me a lot of visibility and are always making sure my voice is heard. Despite being new in the team, I am exposed to many facets of the organisation. With OCBC constantly innovating and regionalising rapidly, I’m assured that I will get plenty of career opportunities while having the flexibility to focus on my family.

Riding on an inspired vision

Our CEO, Helen Wong, is focused and inspiring. Her vision for sustainability, green finance, broadening our regional markets, and being a single point of contact for services is crystal clear. Being passionate about sustainability and digitalisation, I’m sold on the Bank’s vision. Digitalisation is an undeniable trend for banks with FinTech and blockchain, and we are heading fast in the right direction. I’ve been in banking for 10 years with foreign banks, but it’s time for the local banks to shine. I’m excited to grow together with OCBC and I hope to become a well-versed Global Transaction banker one day.

What makes OCBC special

Passion is palpable at the Bank. The people are happy, inspired and motivated. Many have stayed at the Bank for a long time — over 10 years and even beyond. There is a certain je ne sais quoi in the culture that makes people want to grow together for the Bank and the future of banking. People are rotated across divisions, functions and geographies. Some even re-join departments they have previously worked in. There is a very special ‘evergreen’ vibe that sets OCBC apart.

Serving our seniors with heart

I love the empathy that my colleagues display to our customers! When the government recently offered payouts to Singaporeans, we visited a branch and saw many old folks standing around and waiting for a long time to withdraw cash. This was unacceptable to us as we collectively felt that we need to look after our senior generation who have done so much for us. With this experience, we rented chairs to be placed at the branches so that the elderly can sit while waiting to make their withdrawals.

OCBC goes the extra mile for our customers. This people-oriented passion is something I have not seen in other corporate cultures. Sure, we want the Bank to progress and succeed, but with heart. We want to be first in the market, serving and caring for our citizens while educating them towards digitalisation.

I am proud and looking forward to an opportunity-filled, passionate and sustainable career at the Bank.