UOB Vietnam celebrates 30 years of commitment to Vietnam: a journey of long-term dedication
Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam - July 5, 2023 - UOB Vietnam, a subsidiary of UOB, is proud to commemorate three decades of unwavering commitment to Vietnam and its people.
UOB's relationship with Vietnam started 30 years ago in 1993, when the Singapore-headquartered Bank set up a representative office with just three people. In 1995, UOB was the first Singapore bank to set up a branch in Ho Chi Minh City. Today, UOB Vietnam is a wholly-owned subsidiary of UOB - the only Singapore bank to have a subsidiary in Vietnam. Throughout its 30-year journey, UOB Vietnam has achieved significant milestones, reflecting its dedication to Vietnam's growth and development.
The Bank successfully transformed from a branch to a 100 per cent foreign-owned subsidiary bank while maintaining steady growth even through the Covid-19 pandemic. Since signing a Memorandum of Understanding with Vietnam's Foreign Investment Agency in April 2015, UOB has supported more than 250 companies to invest in Vietnam, which is projected to bring in more than S$5.8 billion investment and enable the creation of more than 30,000 jobs opportunities in Vietnam.
This year marked yet another milestone for UOB Vietnam as the Bank welcomed 575 Citi colleagues as part of UOB’s acquisition of Citigroup’s consumer banking businesses in Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand and Vietnam. With an expanded network, more ecosystem partners and an enhanced suite of products and capabilities, UOB Vietnam is in a good position to serve the needs of its enlarged customer base. The addition of new colleagues will help UOB drive its ambition to be a truly regional bank that helps its customers achieve their financial aspirations.
As UOB celebrates its 30th anniversary in Vietnam, the Bank is reaffirming its long-term commitment to Vietnam and its people. Mr Victor Ngo, CEO of UOB Vietnam, said, "UOB Vietnam has been an integral part of our regional presence and the country has shown remarkable resilience and adaptability. Vietnam is a key pillar of UOB’s vision to become the One Bank for ASEAN. Going forward, we will continue to support foreign investment and local enterprises, to facilitate the growing trade and investment flows into Vietnam. We will also boost our capabilities by investing in digitalisation and collaborating with partners in the ecosystem. This will enable us to serve the evolving needs of our customers in Vietnam.
As a forward-looking and inclusive organisation that cares for our people and puts customers first, our vision is to be among the top foreign and consumer banks in Vietnam and an employer of choice. We look forward to deepening our relationships and delivering even greater value to all our stakeholders."
Giving back to the community
UOB Vietnam today held a gala dinner attended by clients and partners to thank them for their support and trust. To commemorate our 30th anniversary, UOB Vietnam announced a partnership with Saigon Children’s Charity to power a project to set up computer rooms for schools in the Mekong Delta region in the next five years. This is expected to help more than 2,000 young students gain access to digital learning and improve their computer skills. UOB Vietnam has been supporting the Saigon Children’s Charity in the past year to support children in need.
This project is part of the UOB Heartbeat corporate social responsibility (CSR) programme, which aims to create sustainable good for caring and inclusive societies.
To mark this momentous occasion, UOB Vietnam is also launching exciting promotion campaigns for its customers. From now until July 17, 2023, the first 300 UOB cardholders who meet the requirement when spending with UOB credit cards will have a chance to win a pair of Apple AirPods 3rd generation (MagSafe) with a limited edition Paul Smith AirPods Case worth VND 11,358,625. Additionally, many attractive deals for travel, dining and shopping are offered for UOB customers from now till the end of 2023. Details can be found here.
Doing right by our customers
UOB Vietnam remains committed to doing right by its customers for the next 30 years and beyond. Through a comprehensive range of initiatives, UOB Vietnam continues to support the sustainable growth of businesses in the digital economy.
The Bank offers innovative financial solutions to both small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and large enterprises through digital platforms such as Infinity, UOB BizMerchant, UOB SME app, and UOB BizSmart. UOB Vietnam also strives to enhance the customer experience by providing personalised products and services through multiple channels.
In recognition of its exceptional performance, UOB Vietnam has won numerous prestigious awards in the country and in the region. UOB BizMerchant was named the Best Financial Inclusion Project by Asian Banking & Finance in 2019. It also received the Best Financial Inclusion Project award from The Asian Banker in 2020. UOB also won the Best Small- and Medium-sized Enterprises (SME) Bank in Asia Pacific Award for the seventh year running by The Asian Banker. Recently, UOB Vietnam was awarded the Most Innovative Bank for SMEs by The Global Business. These accolades exemplify UOB Vietnam's dedication to delivering superior banking services, innovative solutions, and outstanding customer experiences.
Keeping the good going
As a responsible corporate citizen, UOB Vietnam actively engages in CSR initiatives to keep the good going, these include the UOB Global Heartbeat Run/Walk and UOB Painting of the Year.
Driven by a passion to encourage talented artists in their creative pursuits, the flagship regional art competition UOB Painting of the Year was launched for the first time in Vietnam this year. Through this competition, the Bank aims to uncover and nurture the region’s next generation of great artists. In October, UOB Vietnam will welcome the first eight winners in Vietnam who will compete in the ASEAN competition.