Winners Rationale

“Turning a region into the growth engine of a global private bank is no small feat. Achieving it amid leadership transitions, major restructuring, and volatile markets, without losing momentum, is a mark of exceptional leadership – one Jimmy Lee has demonstrated,” said Audrey Raj, editor of Asian Private Banker. 

“Appointed regional head of Asia in 2016 and later the first Asian on Julius Baer’s executive board, Lee has transformed the region into the bank’s largest and fastest-growing franchise, accounting for around a quarter of global AUM and workforce. Regional AUM more than doubled from US$82 billion in 2016 to over US$200 billion in 2025, according to Asian Private Banker estimates, while headcount increased nearly tenfold. These gains were achieved within a single decade of leadership, underscoring the pace and scale of the transformation under Lee’s tenure.

“Lee’s time in the role has spanned multiple leadership transitions at the group level, as well as a major restructuring in 2025. Through these changes, he provided continuity, clarity, and strong execution, successfully steering the Asia business to even greater profitability. In 2025, Julius Baer Asia delivered record year-on-year growth in client assets, with strong net new money, rising transaction activity, and deeper client engagement, placing performance on par with — or ahead of — global peers. The bank also saw topline performances for the-Asia-Switzerland desk and the intermediaries business.

“Lee drove the pure play private bank’s expansion beyond Singapore and Hong Kong, with the Thailand and Japan joint ventures and India’s onshore-offshore platform underpinning a record year in 2025. Crucially, all of this was achieved during a year of significant organisational restructuring.

“Innovation has also been a defining pillar of Lee’s tenure. Under his leadership, Launchpad, the innovation lab in Singapore, delivered over 70 technology and process improvements, reshaping client engagement. In 2025, enhanced onboarding drove a meaningful increase in new accounts, mainly from Greater China, Southeast Asia, global NRI clients, Thailand, and Japan, and most first-time Julius Baer clients.

“As a leader, Lee is widely regarded as humble, principled, and committed to talent development, having mentored a generation of private bankers who now lead across the industry. For these reasons, the judging panel is proud to name Jimmy Lee as Private Banker of the Year. It is a recognition befitting a veteran private banker — an industry leader with nearly 40 years’ experience, including 11 years with Julius Baer — whose impact has both transformed the business and set a lasting standard in the region.”