Bridget Lai said to be head-hunted

Eddy said: Head-hunted in the middle of potential scandal? Beat me up please, I just don't believe this crap. Lolx, what's an extremist huh?


PETALING JAYA: Alliance Bank group CEO Datuk Bridget Lai (pic) is believed to be head-hunted for top positions in banking and finance.

The offers are said to have emerged since last year but Lai’s contract with Alliance had just been approved by Bank Negara for renewal in September; hence, she has not accepted any offer.

When contacted, Lai declined to comment.


Alliance Financial Group Bhd group chief executive officer Datuk Bridget Lai. Industry players said they were not surprised that Lai would be approached by headhunters as the shortage of seasoned bankers in Asia makes someone like her “very bankable.’’

Her 30 years of experience, mostly with Standard Chartered Bank before she took up her current post in 2005, has given her a strong foundation especially in consumer banking which is her forte.

Just two days ago, Lai refuted reports that she had resigned amid a spate of rumours that a senior official of Alliance Bank, who was purportedly on forced leave along with a few others, had offered to resign.

Bloomberg yesterday reported that Alliance Bank also issued a statement that Lai had not resigned and that it conducted investigations as part of its due diligence on corporate governance and board oversight.

Alliance Financial Group Bhd, whose biggest shareholder is Temasek Holdings Pte Ltd, said its banking unit is being helmed by head of corporate banking Choo Joon Keong during the absence of its top two executives.

Lai and chief operating officer Shim Kon Teck were on annual leave, Agnes Ong, a spokeswoman for parent company Alliance Financial, said in an e-mailed response to a query. She didn’t say when they might return.