Things to know about DBS’ incoming chairman Anthony Lim - The Business Times
[SINGAPORE] Anthony Lim will take over as chairman of DBS Group on Jan 1, 2027, succeeding Peter Seah, who is retiring after 16 years in the role.
Lim, 68, was a former senior executive at Singapore sovereign wealth fund GIC and joined DBS as an independent director on Apr 1, 2020.
His appointment was announced on Thursday (Nov 5), alongside the bank’s third-quarter financial results.
Seah, who has chaired DBS since May 2010, will retire from the board on Dec 31, 2026, before taking on a senior adviser’s role for one year.
Lim was among two independent directors appointed to the bank’s boards in April 2020 as part of a board renewal exercise.
At the time, DBS highlighted his extensive global financial markets experience, which included senior roles in Singapore, London and New York.
Lim currently chairs DBS’ Compensation and Management Development Committee (CMDC), and sits on its Board Executive Committee and Board Risk Management Committee.
As chairman of CMDC, he has played a key role in management succession planning, including the transition from former CEO Piyush Gupta to current CEO Tan Su Shan, who took over in March 2025.
He has also been involved in remuneration governance and talent development at the bank.
DBS said Lim was selected through a structured board succession planning process, with the board and nominating committee determining that he was the candidate best suited for the chairmanship.
The bank cited his understanding of its culture and strategy, extensive financial markets experience, global perspective and risk management expertise.
His experience serving on various board committees since 2020 has also given him an understanding of DBS’ operations and strategic priorities.
Tan said Lim consistently contributed perspectives on geopolitics, risk management, organisational leadership and talent development during board deliberations.
Before joining DBS’ board, Lim spent 19 years at GIC, where he held senior leadership positions overseeing the sovereign wealth fund’s international operations.
He joined GIC in 1998 as president of its London office, before being appointed president for the Americas in September 2009, based in New York.
In that role, he was GIC’s most senior representative across North, Central and South America, responsible for strengthening relationships with policymakers, financial institutions and other stakeholders.
He remained president for the Americas until December 2017, when he retired from executive roles.
Before GIC, Lim was a senior managing director at Bankers Trust Company, where he held management and trading positions in its global markets division in Singapore and London from 1987 to 1998.
Earlier in his career, he worked at the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS), spending three years in its New York office.
His last position at MAS was head of the Foreign Exchange, Gold and Liquidity Division.
Lim currently serves as an independent director of CapitaLand Investment, and sits on the boards of the Central Provident Fund, CapitaLand Hope Foundation and NorthLight School.
He is also a senior international adviser to Temasek International Advisors and a member of the Queensway Secondary School Advisory Committee.
Amid the Covid-19 pandemic, Lim was appointed Singapore’s first non-resident ambassador to Colombia in January 2022.
Lim also previously served on the board of CapitaLand before the property group underwent restructuring and was delisted in 2021.
Lim holds a Bachelor of Science degree from the National University of Singapore and attended the Advanced Management Program at Harvard Business School.
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