Helping both laymen and professionals shaped wealth manager's career

20 years in sector taught him the big impact that financial products can have on everyone

- Timothy Goh

Financial adviser Dennis Quah's knack for simplifying complex topics in a way that both seasoned professionals and laymen can understand has paid dividends throughout his career.

As a rookie in the sector, he found himself helping clients who were often older and wealthier than he was.

"I had clients who were investment bankers - clearly intelligent and savvy - yet they still valued having someone to help with their personal financial plans," Mr Quah, 47, recalls.

"The trust placed in a young and inexperienced adviser like me made me feel obliged to provide the best advice."

Mr Quah, who has a bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering from the National University of Singapore, spent two decades in asset management, distribution and product development in various Asian markets before being appointed as Singapore wealth head of asset management company BlackRock in July 2023.

"Over the past two decades, I have gained much more knowledge of investing and investments, as well as the important values of keeping my clients at the centre of everything we do," he says.

"These 20 years in the industry taught me the significant impact that financial products and services can have on everyone, from investment bankers to school teachers alike."

Mr Quah, who also earned a master of science in wealth management from Singapore Management University, said that while he gained many valuable insights throughout his career, he first understood the importance of making sound financial decisions during his childhood.

"My family hit a particularly rough patch financially in my teenage years; I recall that we had to give up even the 'little luxuries', like the daily newspapers being delivered to our home.