DBS Group chief executive Tan Su Shan has been named Her World Woman of the Year 2026, recognising her achievements in banking as well as her long-standing efforts to advance women in the financial sector.
Tan, 58, became the first woman to lead Singapore-headquartered DBS when she took over as CEO in March 2025. Under her leadership, the bank has reached several major financial milestones, including recording a record S$13.1 billion in pre-tax profit in her first year at the helm.
The award was presented at Her World’s annual Women of the Year gala at METT Singapore on Oct 6. The event was attended by more than 250 guests and was graced by Health Minister and Coordinating Minister for Social Policies Ong Ye Kung.
First Woman to Lead DBS
Tan’s appointment as DBS chief executive marked a historic moment for the bank.
She succeeded long-serving CEO Piyush Gupta in March 2025, becoming the first woman in DBS’ history to occupy the top job. Tan had already spent 15 years at the bank before taking over, following more than three decades of experience across the financial industry.
Her first year in charge coincided with strong financial and market performance.
DBS reported a record S$13.1 billion in pre-tax profit during the period. In July 2026, the bank’s market capitalisation crossed S$200 billion, making it the first Singapore-listed company to reach that level and placing DBS among the world’s top 20 banks by market value.
DBS’ shares have also risen by about 60 per cent since Tan became CEO, according to Her World and The Straits Times.
Her leadership comes as banks face rapid changes brought about by artificial intelligence, shifting interest rates, geopolitical uncertainty and evolving financial technology.
Tan has described her vision for DBS as becoming an AI-enabled bank while retaining a strong human element, arguing that technology should complement rather than replace the qualities that matter in leadership and society.
A Career Spanning More Than 35 Years
Tan’s career in finance began decades before she became DBS CEO.
She joined DBS as an intern early in her career before moving into global capital markets. She subsequently worked at Barings, ING, Citi Private Bank and Morgan Stanley, building experience across trading, wealth management and private banking.
Her time at Barings coincided with one of the most dramatic episodes in Singapore’s financial history.
In 1995, Barings collapsed after trader Nick Leeson accumulated huge unauthorised losses. Tan has recalled that the collapse, together with the end of her engagement and the loss of her housing arrangement, turned an already difficult period into an intensely challenging one.
She later rebuilt her career at ING and went on to hold senior positions at Citi and Morgan Stanley before returning to DBS.
It was at Citi that she crossed paths with Gupta, who would later become DBS CEO. When Gupta was looking for someone to help build the bank’s wealth-management business, Tan was among his first choices.
She eventually joined DBS and rose through the organisation, becoming the first internal successor to the CEO position in the bank’s history.
Championing Women in Finance
Tan’s recognition extends beyond her corporate achievements.
In 2001, she founded the Financial Women’s Association Singapore, creating a network intended to support women working in finance and encourage their professional development.
What began as a small group of women meeting after work has grown into an organisation with about 200 individual members and 30 corporate members. The association is marking its 25th anniversary this year.
Tan has said her motivation was partly shaped by the lack of professional networks available to women in finance when she was starting her career.
She has also spoken openly about the challenges women can face when balancing professional ambitions with childcare and eldercare responsibilities.
Rather than focusing only on formal mentorship, she has argued for broader support systems that allow women to remain connected to their careers even when they take time away for family responsibilities.
Her advocacy has also extended into public policy. During her time as a Nominated Member of Parliament from 2012 to 2014, Tan was among the early public figures to advocate for elective egg freezing, which was subsequently legalised in Singapore in 2023.
“People Had Faith in Me”
During her acceptance speech, Tan reflected on the people who had helped her progress throughout her career.
She recalled being offered a larger role at DBS that she initially rejected because she did not believe she was ready for it.
A senior human-resources executive encouraged her to accept the opportunity, telling her that others had faith in her and that she owed it to them — and herself — to take the step.
Tan said the experience shaped her belief in the importance of people opening doors for others.
She thanked her colleagues, friends and family, as well as the people who had supported her throughout her career.
Her message also extended to women more broadly: have confidence in themselves, support other women and recognise the difference that encouragement can make in someone’s life.
Kong Man Jing Named Young Woman Achiever
Tan was not the only Singaporean woman recognised at the ceremony.
Environmental advocate Kong Man Jing, 32, better known as “Biogirl MJ”, was named Her World Young Woman Achiever 2026 for her work making environmental conservation and science more accessible to young Singaporeans.
Kong is the co-founder of Just Keep Thinking, an environmental education platform that began as a passion project in 2019 while she was working as a science teacher.
It has since grown into Singapore’s largest environmental education media brand, with more than 750,000 followers across social media and a full-time team working on programmes, publications and partnerships involving schools, corporations and families.
In 2025, Kong collaborated with City Developments Limited to transform a decommissioned MRT carriage into the CDL EcoTrain, an interactive environmental education space. The project has reached more than 100,000 visitors since opening.
She has also represented Singapore at international environmental platforms, including the International Union for Conservation of Nature’s Wildlife Trade Conference and the United Nations climate conference.
Two Different Forms of Leadership
Her World editor-in-chief Elizabeth Lee described Tan and Kong as representing two different forms of leadership.
Tan’s career demonstrates the impact of breaking barriers at the highest levels of finance, while Kong has used education and digital media to encourage younger generations to engage with science, sustainability and conservation.
The annual Her World Woman of the Year award has been presented since 1991 and has previously recognised prominent Singaporean women including former Singapore ambassador to the United States Chan Heng Chee, Temasek Foundation chairman Jennie Chua and former President Halimah Yacob.
The Young Woman Achiever award was introduced in 1999 for women aged 40 and below whose influence extends beyond their professions.
For Tan, the 2026 honour comes at a particularly significant point in her career — less than two years after becoming DBS’ first female CEO and as she leads one of Singapore’s biggest companies through an increasingly technology-driven financial landscape.
Her message at the gala, however, looked beyond her own achievements.
As AI and other technologies reshape workplaces, Tan argued that human qualities such as empathy, curiosity, creativity, resilience and adaptability will become increasingly important.
Her broader challenge to the next generation was equally clear: succeeding at the top matters, but so does using that position to create opportunities for those who follow.
