Société Générale has appointed senior banker Joseph Chia as head of supply chain management for Asia Pacific, as the lender looks to capitalise on growing corporate demand for open account trade finance solutions in the region.
Chia brings over 25 years of senior banking experience in corporate banking, structured commodity finance and supply chain finance across Asia Pacific.
He has a track record of building financial institution trade franchises in emerging markets, including partnerships with multilateral agencies, export credit agencies and trade credit insurers, according to Société Générale.
Chia joins from UOB, where he was senior vice-president, regional group sales and financial supply chain management, for three years.
Prior to that, he spent over 17 years at SMBC, rising through the ranks until becoming group head of supply chain finance for Asia Pacific, where he led regional teams across 13 markets.
In his new role based in Singapore, Chia will report regionally to Soo Tat Kua, head of global transaction and payment services for Asia Pacific, and globally to Aurélien Viry, chief executive officer of Société Générale Factoring.
He will be responsible for developing the bank’s accounts receivable and accounts payable solutions across the region as Société Générale aims to bolster its supply chain management offering and broaden its transaction banking franchise.
The lender said that, as corporate and multinational clients “increasingly adopt open account trade finance solutions over traditional documentary trade instruments”, supply chain management has become a “key pillar” of its transaction banking business.
“Joseph’s appointment underscores our ambition to further strengthen our supply chain management capabilities across Asia Pacific,” Kua said.
“With his extensive regional experience and deep expertise in working capital and trade solutions, Joseph is exceptionally well positioned to help our clients optimise their supply chains, unlock greater value, and support the continued growth of our transaction banking franchise.”
The appointment comes as Société Générale has been building out its trade and transaction banking leadership more broadly.
In recent months, the bank named Zvi Wohlgemuth as global head of development and structured export finance, alongside his existing role as UK head of global banking and advisory, and appointed Eric Bonnin as head of trade and sustainable commodity finance for Switzerland.
