Board of Directors / CE / ACE

Mr. Lai Wan has 49 years of experience in the banking and finance related industries. He was appointed an Independent Non-Executive Director of Public Financial in December 2013, and became the Independent Non-Executive Co-Chairman of Public Financial and Public Bank (Hong Kong) in July 2015. Mr. Lai was re-designated as the Non-Executive Co-Chairman of Public Financial and Public Bank (Hong Kong) in June 2021 and re-designated as the Non-Executive Chairman in January 2023. He is a member of the Audit Committee and the Nomination and Remuneration Committee of Public Financial. Mr. Lai is currently the Non-Independent Non-Executive Chairman of Public Bank and a Non-Executive Director of Public Finance. Mr. Lai is also a member of various Board Committees of Public Bank (Hong Kong) and Public Finance. He holds directorship in another company in the Public Bank Group. Mr. Lai graduated with a Bachelor of Arts (Honours) Degree in Economics from the University of Malaya and is an Associate of the Asian Institute of Chartered Bankers. He had served Bank Negara Malaysia for 20 years up to 1985 and had working experience in three finance companies from 1985 to 1994 where he had held senior management positions. Mr. Lai was appointed the President/Chief Executive Officer of a Malaysian bank in 1997 until his retirement in December 2000.

Mr. Tan Yoke Kong has 41 years of experience in the banking and finance industry. He was appointed an Executive Director of Public Financial in February 1992 and is a Joint-secretaries of Public Financial. He is currently the Executive Director and Chief Executive and a member of Board Executive Committee of Public Bank (Hong Kong). He is also a director of certain subsidiaries of Public Financial. Prior to his transfer to the current appointment in Public Bank (Hong Kong) in 2006, Mr. Tan was an Executive Director and the Chief Executive of Public Finance, and had served as the Vice Chairman of The DTC Association (The Hong Kong Association of Restricted Licence Banks and Deposit-taking Companies)(“The DTC Association”) and as a member of the Deposit-taking Companies Advisory Committee of the Hong Kong Monetary Authority (“HKMA”) for several years. Mr. Tan is an Honorary Advisor of The Hong Kong Institute of Bankers (HKIB), a Fellow of the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants, United Kingdom, a Fellow of The Chartered Governance Institute, United Kingdom and a Fellow of The Hong Kong Chartered Governance Institute.

Tan Sri Dato’ Sri Dr. Tay Ah Lek has 62 years of experience in the banking and finance industry. He was appointed a Non-Executive Director of Public Financial from January 1995 to April 2014. He is currently the Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer of Public Bank and a Non-Executive Director and a member of various Board Committees of Public Bank (Hong Kong). He also holds directorships in several other companies in the Public Bank Group. Tan Sri Tay holds a Master’s Degree in Business Administration from Henley, United Kingdom and he is an Alumni of Harvard Business School. He is an Emeritus Fellow of the Malaysian Institute of Management, a Fellow, Chartered Banker, of the Asian Institute of Chartered Bankers, and is a Fellow of CPA Australia and the Financial Services Institute of Australasia. He is presently the Chairman of the Association of Hire Purchase Companies Malaysia and is a Council Member of the Association of Banks in Malaysia and the Asian Institute of Chartered Bankers.

Dato’ Chang Kat Kiam has 48 years of experience in the banking and finance industry. He was appointed a Non-Executive Director of Public Financial in March 2004. He is also a Non-Executive Director and the Chairman or a member of various Board Committees of Public Bank (Hong Kong) and Public Finance. Dato’ Chang is currently the Deputy Chief Executive Officer of Public Bank. He also holds directorships in several other companies in the Public Bank Group. He holds a Master’s Degree in Business Administration (Finance) from University of Hull, United Kingdom and is a Chartered Banker of the Chartered Banker Institute, United Kingdom and Asian Institute of Chartered Bankers.

Mr. Chong Yam Kiang has 53 years of experience in the banking and finance industry. He was appointed a Non-Executive Director of Public Financial in January 2009. Mr. Chong was re-designated from Executive Director to Non-Executive Director of Public Bank (Hong Kong), and appointed as the Executive Director and Chief Executive of Public Finance in January 2020. He is a member of Board Executive Committees of Public Bank (Hong Kong) and Public Finance and also a director of certain subsidiaries of Public Financial. He is currently a member of the Deposit-taking Companies Advisory Committee of the HKMA and an Executive Committee member of The DTC Association.

Ms. Cheah Kim Ling has around 40 years of experience in banking industry in Malaysia. She was appointed an Independent Non-Executive Director of Public Financial in February 2022 and re-designated as a Non-Executive Director in May 2023. Ms. Cheah is currently a Non-Independent Non-Executive Director of Public Bank, and a Non-Executive Director and a member of the Bank Culture and Sustainability Committees of Public Bank (Hong Kong) and Public Finance. She holds directorship in another company in the Public Bank Group. Ms. Cheah holds a Bachelor of Accounting (Honours) Degree from the University of Malaya and is a Chartered Accountant of the Malaysian Institute of Accountants. She had served Bank Negara Malaysia for 32 years whereby she was involved in all aspects of banking regulation from formulation of policies/regulations/guidelines to the administration of different legislations governing financial institutions. Ms. Cheah was also involved in formulating and executing strategies and policies for payment systems, administering the legislations, oversight of the payment systems and payment instruments, development of the payment infrastructure to support developments in the financial system and promoted the migration to electronic payments.

Mr. Lee Chin Guan has 25 years of experience in legal matters, with 13 years of experience in legal practice, principally in commercial and corporate matters. He was appointed an Independent Non-Executive Director of Public Financial in September 2004 and is a member of the Audit Committee and Nomination and Remuneration Committee of Public Financial. He is also a Non-Independent Non-Executive Director of Public Bank, and an Independent Non-Executive Director and the Chairman or a member of various Board Committees of Public Bank (Hong Kong) and Public Finance. Mr. Lee is the Chairman of the Board of another company in the Public Bank Group. He is also an Independent Non-Executive Director of LPI Capital Berhad, which is a listed public company in Malaysia. Mr. Lee qualified as a Barrister-at-Law from the Middle Temple, United Kingdom in 1982. He also holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Science (Honours) from the University of Manchester Institute of Science and Technology, England and Degrees in Law from Cambridge University, Oxford University and Chicago-Kent College of Law.

Mr. Lim Chao Li has over 30 years of experience in commerce, accountancy, finance, hospitality, property and technology industries and practices in Malaysia and United States. He was appointed an Independent Non-Executive Director of Public Financial in July 2021 and is the Chairman and member of the Nomination and Remuneration Committee and a member of the Audit Committee of Public Financial. Mr. Lim is also an Independent Non-Executive Director of Public Bank, Public Bank (Hong Kong) and Public Finance, and the Chairman or a member of various Board Committees of Public Bank (Hong Kong) and Public Finance. He is also a Non-Independent Non-Executive Director of JcbNext Berhad, which is a listed public company in Malaysia. Mr. Lim holds a Bachelor of Science in Economics Degree majoring in Accounting and Finance from The Wharton School of Business, University of Pennsylvania, USA. He also holds a Bachelor of Applied Science (Systems Engineering) Degree from the School of Engineering and Applied Science, University of Pennsylvania, USA. Mr. Lim had previously served Deloitte & Touche USA and Johnson & Johnson Medical Malaysia. Currently, he is the Chief Commercial Officer of Hotel Equatorial Management Sdn Bhd.

Mr. Ng Chee Khuen has over 30 years of experience in the banking and financial sector. He was appointed as the General Manager and Alternate Chief Executive of Public Bank (Hong Kong) in February 2020 and October 2020 respectively. He is a member of various management committees of Public Bank (Hong Kong) and also a director of Winton Financial Limited, an operating subsidiary of Public Financial. Prior to his current appointment, Mr. Ng was the General Manager of Winton Financial Limited in charge of the overall operations of the company from June 2009 to January 2020, and the Assistant General Manager of Public Bank (Hong Kong) in charge of various business units from September 2006 to May 2009, and Winton Financial Limited from January 1998 to August 2006. Prior to that, he was attached to Public Bank, Malaysia. Mr. Ng holds a Master’s Degree in Business Administration from the University of Chichester, United Kingdom, a Bachelor's Degree in Economics from the National University of Malaysia and the OTHM Level 7 Diploma in Strategic Management and Leadership.

Mr. Chiang Kam Sing has 42 years of banking experience in Hong Kong and overseas. He joined Public Bank (Hong Kong) in 2002 and has been the Assistant General Manager and Head of Treasury since 2004. Mr. Chiang was appointed as Alternate Chief Executive of Public Bank (Hong Kong) in April 2021. He is a member of various management committees of Public Bank (Hong Kong). Mr. Chiang holds a Master's Degree in Applied Finance from Macquarie University, Australia and has acquired the professional qualification of the Certified Senior Treasury Management Professional (CSTMP) of the Treasury Markets Association.