KUALA LUMPUR (Oct 6): United Overseas Bank (Malaysia) Bhd (UOB Malaysia) chief executive officer Datuk Ng Wei Wei climbed 10 rungs to 85th place in this year's Fortune’s Most Powerful Women Asia ranking.
Ng is the highest placed among five Malaysians on this year's list of 100 most influential female Asian business leaders.
Fortune highlighted UOB Malaysia’s 15.6% rise in pre-tax profit to RM2.5 billion for 2025, as well as the bank’s role in facilitating more than RM18 billion in foreign direct investment into the Johor-Singapore Special Economic Zone.
Ng became the first woman to helm UOB Malaysia when she was appointed CEO in May 2022, after returning to the banking group in 2019 following more than a decade at HSBC.
The other Malaysians on the list are Berjaya Corp Bhd (KL:BJCORP) chief executive officer Nerine Tan Sheik Ping at 91, Sunway Bhd (KL:SUNWAY) executive deputy chairperson Sarena Cheah at 92, Affin Bank Bhd (KL:AFFIN) group chief financial officer Joanne Rodrigues at 99 and Public Bank Bhd (KL:PBBANK) CFO Yik Sook Ling at 100.
Ng and Rodrigues also appeared on last year’s list, when Rodrigues was ranked 97th.
Tan became Berjaya Corp’s sole CEO in February this year after serving as co-CEO since March 2023. She is the daughter of group founder Tan Sri Vincent Tan.
“Tan is now leading Berjaya Corp’s transformation efforts as it seeks to streamline operations and strengthen its core businesses,” Fortune noted.
Cheah is the eldest daughter of Sunway founder Tan Sri Jeffrey Cheah and became the group’s executive deputy chairman in January 2025.
“She played a key role in Sunway’s RM2.4 billion acquisition of Singapore property developer MCL Land from Hongkong Land,” Fortune said.
Rodrigues has been Affin Bank CFO since 2020, and is described as “a key architect” of the bank's AX28 transformation plan, which targets RM1.8 billion in pre-tax profit by 2028.
Yik has been Public Bank CFO since 2012.
“Public Bank continues to demonstrate strong cost discipline and asset quality,” Fortune noted, citing its 35.1% cost-to-income ratio in the second quarter and gross impaired loan ratio of 0.54%.
Singapore’s DBS Group CEO Tan Su Shan retained the top spot in this year’s ranking, followed by China-based Luxshare Precision Industry chairwoman and CEO Grace Wang.
Lens Technology founder Zhou Qunfei, meanwhile, climbed 25 places to third.
Newcomers make up nearly a quarter of this year’s list, which spans 14 markets across Asia-Pacific.
Business leaders from the technology sector accounted for the largest representation with 16 women, followed by banking with 14.