Winners Rationale

“In 2025, the Asian private banking landscape underwent a definitive shift toward ‘local-global’ agility, a transition embodied most successfully by Jaye Chiu, regional head of private banking at the Bank of East Asia (BEA). Recognised as a Rising Star of the Year, Chiu has propelled a century-old Hong Kong institution into a digital-first, institutional-grade era, proving that regional banks can forge their own path through hyper-localisation and technical precision,” said Stanley Li, senior reporter at Asian Private Banker.

“Chiu’s achievements in 2025 include the strategic enhancement of the bank’s China strategy. While many peers struggled with the regulatory complexities of the mainland-Hong Kong corridor, Chiu leveraged BEA’s deep-rooted heritage and expansive on-the-ground presence in mainland China to create a seamless cross-border experience. Under his leadership, BEA Private Banking revamped its referral mechanism, incentivising relationship managers to collaborate more closely and unlock greater jurisdictional synergy for clients.

“Chiu is also widely credited with the radical modernisation of BEA’s digital infrastructure. A key milestone in 2025 was the comprehensive upgrade of the BEA SmarTrade platform. This digital leap empowers clients to manage sophisticated portfolios spanning global equities, FX, and structured products with institutional-grade precision.

“Chiu’s human-centric philosophy ensured that, despite this digital evolution, relationship managers remained at the heart of the client experience, now empowered by AI tools to provide faster, more data-driven advice.

“Under Chiu’s tenure in 2025, the Private Banking division delivered record financial performance. By prioritising high-margin structured solutions and fee-based advisory mandates, he successfully diversified the bank’s revenue streams away from traditional interest income.

“Chiu’s ascent is more than a personal milestone; it represents a blueprint for the future of Asian wealth management. By combining deep cultural empathy for families in Greater China with the operational speed of a fintech and the risk management of an institutional leader, Chiu has firmly established himself as one of the most visionary private bankers in the region today.”