2025 marks a pivotal year for Sharon Loh. While she does not come from a traditional private banking background, her diverse path led her to the role of market head for Southeast Asia.

With over 30 years of experience in the financial industry, Loh brings far more than investment knowledge; she offers strong leadership skills and a deep understanding of how to serve clients according to their needs truly.

Much of this stems from her previous role as head of investment counsellors, where she led active advisory teams in Singapore and Hong Kong with the French bank.

Prior to BNP Paribas, she held a similar position at UBS, where she successfully launched a new team of investment specialists and developed an ultra high net worth coverage model.

Notably, Loh began her career in investment banking, working with leading global market teams at Deutsche Bank and Merrill Lynch Investment Bank.

Reflecting on her journey, Loh shared that throughout her three decades in the industry, she was fortunate to be guided by seniors who often acted as informal mentors.

“They were able to spot my strengths before I did. They pushed me to consider opportunities beyond my comfort zone. So, I would encourage the same for the new generation of bankers to be receptive to opinion and actively seek out anyone you respect for their guidance,” she said.

Because banking tends to be left-brain oriented, Loh enjoys unwinding with creative activities unrelated to work. Recently, she has taken up video editing via Capcut, which helps her reconnect with her inner child.

“I also get to practise reverse mentoring, where my daughter has to play the role of a teacher. By staying creative, it trains you to keep an open mind to explore new ideas or new concepts. To me, this trait is very important if we want to keep pace with change.

“Technological and banking evolution are now so rapid. We have to learn to adopt new concepts, fail fast if it does not work, and constantly calibrate our mindset,” Loh said.

Loh graduated from the University of Washington with a double degree in Business Administration and Economics.