DBS' Karen Ngui relinquishes strategic marketing and communications role

Karen Ngui is relinquishing her role as DBS’ head of group strategic marketing and communications.

In a LinkedIn post, Ngui said she made the decision to focus her “time and energy entirely on championing impact beyond banking through the DBS Foundation and our DBS People of Purpose initiatives”.

According to her LinkedIn profile, Ngui’s new title will be head of DBS Foundation.

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“After more than 20 wonderful years with DBS, I’ve decided to step down as head of group strategic marketing and communications,” she said, adding that the move marks “a meaningful transition” in her DBS journey.

Ngui paid tribute to the group strategic marketing and communications team, saying that together they "shaped, differentiated and strengthened the DBS brand through both calm and crisis”, and helped position DBS as “a purpose-driven, world-class bank”.

As she turns her full attention to the foundation in what she described as a new “re-wirement” chapter, Ngui said she remains focused on enabling sustainable and scalable change by uplifting vulnerable communities, fostering inclusion and supporting purpose-driven businesses across Asia.

She added that the foundation has also deepened its efforts around ageing, as populations across the region grow older. “We’re focused on shaping a future where ageing is not feared, but embraced with dignity, joy and possibility,” she said, pointing to initiatives spanning active ageing, healthcare access, education, financial resilience and tech-enabled eldercare solutions.

Ngui said the work would not be possible without collaboration across the wider impact ecosystem, including social enterprises, community partners, policymakers and DBS colleagues, adding that “collective action makes change possible”.

MARKETING-INTERACTIVE has reached out for a statement. 

Ngui is not the only marketer in the banking space to have made career changes in recent months. In August 2025, Saurabh Singhal joined HSBC as its managing director, global head of digital marketing, corporate and investment banking. 

Similarly, Standard Chartered appointed Cheryl Lim as its new global corporate coverage marketing director under the bank's corporate and investment banking division. 

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