Expanding Across Geographies
UOB’s expansion during the 1970s and 1980s marked a bold step toward becoming one of Asia’s leading banks. Under the leadership of Dr Wee Cho Yaw, the Bank began establishing branches in financial centres worldwide, starting with London in 1975, followed by New York in 1977 and Los Angeles in 1980. These moves reflected UOB's ambition to engage with and expand into the key financial hubs.
In Asia Pacific, it opened branches in Seoul in 1983 and Beijing in 1984, followed by Sydney and Xiamen in 1985, then Vancouver in 1986. Each addition reinforced and expanded UOB’s presence in vital economic regions, aligning with Dr Wee’s belief that overseas expansion was essential to sustain growth, given Singapore’s small domestic market.
By the late 1980s, UOB had established a significant footprint across Asia, with presence in North America, and Europe, solidifying our status as a key player in global finance, ready to tackle the challenges of ever-evolving markets.