VP/SVP, Governance & Risk Lead, Retail Banking

Job description

Role Purpose

As the Governance & Risk Lead, you will provide strategic leadership to strengthen our governance, risk management, and compliance framework. Your mandate is to ensure sustainable business performance while delivering fair dealing outcomes for our customers. You will partner with business leaders across the First and Second Lines of Defence to drive regulatory adherence, elevate advisory standards, and embed a proactive, robust risk and compliance culture across all advisory units within the retail banking organisation.

Key Responsibilities

Governance & Risk Oversight Strengthen Controls: Review and enhance risk management practices and control effectiveness across financial advisory, sales practices, campaigns, strategic initiatives, and platform transformations.

Drive Adherence

Ensure rigorous adherence to DBS policies, standards, and MAS regulatory requirements. Elevate advisory standards, including suitability requirements, disclosure obligations, and customer outcome principles.

Proactive Risk Management

Assess business risks and operating model changes. Identify control gaps, process weaknesses, and emerging risks, partnering with stakeholders to implement sustainable, robust improvements.

Regulatory Compliance & Advisory Governance Strategic Advisory

Act as the primary advisor to FPA leadership on MAS regulations and evolving regulatory developments impacting consumer banking and financial advisory activities.

Operational Integration

Translate complex regulatory requirements into practical, actionable business controls, policies, and operating procedures.

Sales Governance & Conduct Risk Remediation

Proactively identify control gaps and supervisory weaknesses, driving sustainable, long-term remediation.

Risk Culture

Strengthen risk ownership, accountability, and awareness. Promote a strong risk culture where risk identification, escalation, and management are deeply embedded in daily operations. Strategic Initiative, Campaign & Risk Governance Embedded Risk: Partner with business teams to integrate risk management considerations and appropriate controls into customer journeys, digital platforms, and transformation programmes.

Mitigation

Assess and mitigate operational and conduct risks associated with business changes and new strategic initiatives. Risk Management, Audit & Regulatory Engagement Emerging Risks: Monitor regulatory, operational, and conduct risks, implementing sustainable management practices.

Audit Coordination

Coordinate internal audits, thematic reviews, and governance assessments. Drive timely resolution of audit findings, regulatory observations, and risk issues.

Escalation

Escalate significant governance and risk concerns to senior management and relevant committees with clear, data-driven recommendations.

Stakeholder Management & Capability Building Advocacy

Drive risk awareness and capability building across FPA and the wider Consumer Banking network.

Change Leadership

Foster behavioural change and champion initiatives that strengthen risk maturity and reinforce accountability across business teams.

Required Skills & Experience

Consumer Banking & Financial Advisory Expertise Deep expertise in Consumer Banking and Wealth Management, with a focus on financial advisory and sales-led distribution models. Strong knowledge of investment, bancassurance, and financial planning processes, including sales supervision frameworks and frontline management. Experience supporting large RM or distribution organisations is highly advantageous. Governance, Risk & Regulatory Expertise Proven track record in governance, conduct risk, operational risk, compliance, or first-line risk management roles.

In-depth knowledge of MAS regulations impacting consumer banking and advisory businesses. Experience in designing and implementing robust governance frameworks and control environments. Strong understanding of the Three Lines of Defence model. Strategic & Transformation Governance Experience supporting digital transformation, customer segmentation, platform enablement, or large-scale change initiatives. Ability to assess governance implications of strategic programmes and drive effective risk mitigation.

Leadership & Stakeholder Management Exceptional influencing and stakeholder management skills; ability to challenge constructively and drive outcomes across teams without direct authority. Excellent communication and presentation skills, with experience preparing materials for senior management and committees. Commercially minded, capable of balancing business growth with regulatory obligations and customer outcomes. Analytical & Problem-Solving Skills Strong analytical capabilities with the ability to identify root causes of systemic issues.

Experience leveraging data and management information (MI) to drive governance decisions and control improvements.

Qualifications

12–15 years of experience in Consumer Banking, Wealth Management, Financial Advisory, Governance, Risk Management, Compliance, or related disciplines. At least 5 years of experience in governance, regulatory management, business controls, conduct risk, or advisory governance. Experience supporting large frontline sales or wealth advisory organisations preferred. Bachelor's degree in Business, Finance, Banking, Risk Management, or a related field.

Relevant banking, compliance, risk, or audit certifications are advantageous.

Location

CBG SG Distribution Management Job: COO Office/Business Mgt & Support Schedule: Regular Employee Status: Full time