Toh Su Mei recalls a time during the early days of her career when a former colleague made a data-entry mistake in the bank record of a small and medium-sized enterprise (SME).
"That seemingly small mistake ended up affecting the SME's request and access to a credit line to fund his business operations. That was when I realised banking was more than just a job for me," Toh, CEO of ANEXT Bank, told Singapore Business Review.
Prior to that, banking just seemed the natural course of action given Toh's education background, saying that she "stumbled" into the industry after graduating with a major in Economics. But moments such as this cemented to Toh how critical their role is to small and medium enterprises.
"I've not looked back since my first experience where I witnessed first-hand how the right financing solution and quality of banking services could make or break a business. And for small and medium enterprises, this was even more apparent," she said. It became more than just banking to Toh. "It was an opportunity for me to make an actual difference - it's not about financing a business, but a person's livelihood and aspirations. Constantly and actively listening to customers is key, and I enjoy the deep relationships built with my customers in this process. If I somehow had to choose my first job again, I'd pick banking and do it all over again!" the CEO explained.
Decades later, Toh is now Chief Executive Officer of ANEXT Bank, one of the newest digital-only banks granted a license to operate by the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS), with over two decades of serving SMEs both in Singapore and across the region. Prior to her new role, Toh was regional head, SME loan product management & alternative lending for DBS Bank.
Denne historien er fra Issue 102-utgaven av Singapore Business Review.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent ? Logg på
Denne historien er fra Issue 102-utgaven av Singapore Business Review.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent? Logg på
How TikTok powers cross-border shopping for Singapore retailers
The yellow basket feature allows viewers to purchase items directly during livestreams.
Income Insurance seeks to fill billion-dollar financing gap in climate transition
The region skimmed its carbon intensity by 2.8%, far below the 17.2% needed.
SIDS fights misconceptions in interior design with accreditation, education
The organisation is setting up a digital platform to speed up accreditation from 6 to 2 months.
IHH's proton therapy takes aim at tumours with precision and low risk
Leaving surrounding organs at risk during cancer treatment might become a thing of the past.
SingPost pivots from mail to logistics as e-commerce demand drives growth
It is banking on e-commerce to drive its logistics unit, which accounts for 69% of revenue.
Singapore needs SEA neighbours to power renewable energy transition
Experts favour Malaysia and Indonesia as renewable energy import sources.
Singapore's architecture blueprint spurs push to tackle brain drain in other sectors
Paying the country's architects just right will hopefully stop the brain drain.
Millionaires eye a piece of Singapore's rich colonial era
The country's remaining 6,500 shophouses are in high demand amongst the ultra-rich.
HDB resale portal unlikely to cut out property agents
The portal enables sellers to list their units themselves.
Factory and retail spaces shine as housing heads for worst market slump in 16 years
Its manufacturing and tourism rebound will spur demand for industrial and high-street shops.
