KUALA LUMPUR (Sept 17): Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corp Malaysia Bhd (SMBC Malaysia) has appointed Hiroshi Okawa as the group's president and chief executive officer (CEO) effective July 19, 2021.

Okawa, 51, replaced Tetsuya Kainaka who has returned to Tokyo, Japan to take on a new role.

"Mr Okawa's inspiring journey with SMBC began in 1992 when he joined the Hakusan Branch in Tokyo and today has more than 29 years of banking experience, mainly in the areas of business development and customer relationship management.

"Through his vast experiences in front office roles, Mr Okawa had led SMBC to forge strong partnerships with many customers. During his stints in various assignments within SMBC Group, Mr Okawa was involved in the crafting of strategic business plans that are integral to the sustainable growth of the group.

"He leads by example with a "Customer First" mindset — one of SMBC Group's five key corporate values — and his innovative ideas and creative solutions specially designed to meet the needs of customers have proven him with an edge in the industry," according to a statement today.

Prior to his appointment at SMBC Malaysia, the group noted that Okawa had held various positions at SMBC locations in Tokyo, London, Hong Kong and Singapore.