UOB celebrates 30th anniversary in Vietnam

The bank held a gala dinner on Wednesday for clients and partners to thank them for their support and trust.

To commemorate the 30th anniversary, it also announced a partnership with Saigon Children’s Charity to power a project to set up computer rooms at five schools in the Mekong Delta over 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. The bank has also been supporting the Saigon Children’s Charity this past year to support children in need.

This project is part of the UOB Heartbeat corporate social responsibility (CSR) program, which aims to create sustainable products for caring and inclusive societies.

To mark this momentous occasion, UOB Vietnam is also launching promotional campaigns for its customers.

From now until July 17 the first 300 UOB cardholders who meet certain requirements when spending on their cards will get the chance to win a pair of Apple AirPods 3rd generation (MagSafe) with a limited-edition Paul Smith AirPods Case worth more than VND11.3 million.

Many attractive travel, dining, and shopping deals are also on offer for UOB customers from now until the end of 2023. Details can be found here. Photo courtesy of UOB

UOB is the only Singapore bank to have had a subsidiary in Vietnam since 1993. Thirty years ago, it established a representative office with only three employees. In 1995 UOB became the first Singapore bank to set up a branch in HCMC.

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 percent foreign-owned subsidiary bank while maintaining steady growth even through the Covid-19 pandemic.

Since signing an MoU with Vietnam’s Foreign Investment Agency in 2015, UOB has helped over 250 companies invest more than S$5.8 billion in Vietnam, enabling the creation of more than 30,000 jobs.

This year marked another milestone for UOB Vietnam as the bank welcomed 575 colleagues from Citibank as part of its acquisition of Citigroup’s consumer banking business 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 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, it is reaffirming its long-term commitment to Vietnam and its people.

Victor Ngo, CEO of UOB Vietnam, said Vietnam is an important pillar in UOB’s vision of becoming the number one bank in Southeast Asia.

Therefore, it would continue to encourage international investment and local businesses to facilitate expansion of trade and investment flows into Vietnam, he said.

A man using an UOB ATM in District 1, HCMC. Photo courtesy of UOB

Besides, UOB would also strengthen its capabilities by investing in digitalization and collaborating with ecosystem partners, which would help meet the evolving needs of customers in Vietnam, he said.

“Our vision is to be among the top foreign and consumer banks in Vietnam, as well as an inclusive and forward-thinking organization that cares about its people and puts customers first.”

UOB Vietnam is dedicated to doing the right thing for its clients for 30 years and beyond. The bank is also committed to continuing support for the sustainable growth of enterprises in the digital economy through a wide range of activities.

It offers innovative financial solutions to SMEs and large enterprises through digital platforms such as Infinity, UOB BizMerchant, the UOB SME app, and UOB BizSmart.

UOB Vietnam also strives to enhance the customer experience by providing personalized products and services through multiple channels.

For its exceptional performance, it has been conferred a number of prestigious awards in Vietnam and elsewhere in the region.

UOB BizMerchant was named the Best Financial Inclusion Project by Asian Banking & Finance in 2019 and received the Best Financial Inclusion Project award from The Asian Banker in 2020 and the Best SME Bank in Asia Pacific Award for seven straight years from The Asian Banker.

Recently UOB Vietnam was named the Most Innovative Bank for SMEs by The Global Business.

These accolades point to UOB Vietnam’s dedication to delivering superior banking services, innovative solutions and outstanding customer experiences.

Besides, 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 the UOB Painting of the Year.

Driven by a passion to encourage talented artists in their creative pursuits, a flagship regional art competition, UOB Painting of the Year, was launched 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 go on to compete in the ASEAN competition.