Barclays has appointed Wee Yee-Yeong as Head of Private Bank Singapore and Head of Private Bank Asia, the bank said in a press release issued in Singapore on 22 September 2026. He moves from Morgan Stanley, where he currently leads its Singapore wealth arm as Chief Executive and Head of Sales, and is expected to take up the post later this year.
Wee will be based in Singapore, where he takes charge of the local private bank and sets regional strategy market by market, in partnership with the distribution teams that cover international Asian clients. He succeeds Alexander Harrison, who has been covering the role as Interim Head of Private Bank Singapore.
Scope of the role
The appointment leaves Barclays' Indian private banking leadership unchanged. India stays with Adrish Ghosh, whose reporting line to Annabelle Bryde, Head of Private Bank International, is unchanged.
Wee has spent more than 20 years in wealth management across Asia Pacific, Barclays said, covering franchise building, team leadership and advice to the region's wealthiest clients. Before Morgan Stanley, he worked at Merrill Lynch, UBS Wealth Management, Goldman Sachs, Credit Suisse and Bank of Singapore in a mix of management and advisory positions.
Barclays expects his background with founders, family offices and clients who move between countries to help it win more cross-border business, particularly from families whose lending, investment and banking arrangements sit in more than one jurisdiction.
Follows the Singapore booking centre launch
The hire comes weeks after Barclays Private Bank launched a booking centre in Singapore on 4 September 2026, a platform that lets clients book assets onshore in Singapore while still reaching the bank's booking hubs elsewhere. Barclays presents the two steps together as part of expanding its presence in a leading wealth management hub, and of offering clients its Private Bank, Corporate Bank and Investment Bank through what it calls its "one Barclays" model.
Singapore's authorities have also been working to strengthen the city's standing as a base for investment managers, including through recent MAS measures to anchor asset managers in Singapore. For banks booking client business locally, the supervisory toolkit is evolving as well: MAS has said it plans to widen its COSMIC information-sharing platform to more banks and risk areas within two years.
What Barclays said
"Singapore is a key market for Barclays and an important gateway to growth across Asia Pacific. Yee-Yeong's deep regional expertise, strong leadership credentials and client relationships will help us build on the momentum we have established in the region. His appointment marks an important step in the next phase of our growth strategy as we continue to deepen relationships with entrepreneurs, UHNW clients and family offices across the region," by Annabelle Bryde of Barclays
"Asia Pacific is a strategically important region for Barclays, and Singapore is central to our long-term growth ambitions. The recent launch of our Singapore booking centre marked a significant milestone in our growth strategy, and Yee-Yeong's appointment represents another important step in that journey. His leadership will help us deepen relationships with entrepreneurs, family offices and international clients, while connecting them to the breadth of Barclays' banking, markets and financing capabilities. I would also like to thank Alexander Harrison for his leadership during this period of transition," by Jaideep Khanna of Barclays
"Barclays has a differentiated international proposition and strong momentum in Asia Pacific. I look forward to working across the bank to deepen client relationships and support the international needs of entrepreneurs, family offices and globally connected clients across the region," by Wee Yee-Yeong, incoming Head of Private Bank Singapore and Asia at Barclays
Bryde is Head of Barclays Private Bank International and Khanna is Barclays' Chief Executive for Asia Pacific. Read the full Barclays press release.
