DBS Appoints Audrey Kuah as Group Marketing Head, Launches APAC Creative Pitch

DBS Bank has appointed Audrey Kuah as Group Head of Marketing and Communications, effective January 13, 2026, and is now launching a creative pitch covering the Asia Pacific region, including Singapore and Hong Kong.

Kuah Brings 25 Years of Agency and Financial Services Experience

Kuah joins DBS with more than 25 years of experience across global agencies and financial services clients. Her agency roles include APAC co-CEO at VML and CEO of Wunderman Thompson APAC. She also held positions at Dentsu International, J. Walter Thompson, and Aegis Media Singapore.

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On the client side, she has worked with Citi International Personal Banking, Standard Chartered Bank, and OCBC. DBS cited her expertise in digital transformation, data-led strategies, and AI-driven approaches as central to her mandate.

Her appointment follows the departure of Karen Ngui, who served as Group Head of Strategic Marketing and Communications for more than 20 years. Ngui has transitioned to focus on DBS Foundation and social impact work, including the DBS People of Purpose program.

Marketing Functions Consolidated Under Single Division

DBS has restructured its marketing operations, consolidating all functions into a new Group Marketing and Communications division. The division unifies business and performance marketing, brand strategy, enterprise content, internal communications, and external relations.

The new division reports directly to Group Chief Operating Officer Derrick Goh. DBS stated the structure is designed to advance its "One Bank, One Brand" ambition through more unified communications across its markets.

The creative pitch covers the Asia Pacific region, with particular focus on Singapore and Hong Kong, where DBS has run its most prominent campaign activations in recent years.

'Trust Your Spark' Campaign Sets the Creative Benchmark

The incoming marketing chief inherits an active multi-market campaign. DBS's "Trust Your Spark" platform currently runs across six markets: Singapore, China, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, and Taiwan.

The campaign has produced notable activations. In Singapore, DBS ran a front-page advertisement in The Straits Times on August 10, 2024, celebrating Olympic bronze medalist Maximilian Maeder with the line "Trust your spark to the Max, Singapore." In Hong Kong, DBS ran a 15-day generative AI photo experience from August 5 to 20, 2024, allowing participants to create personalized images of themselves as musicians, athletes, or artists.

The campaign also anchors the "Sparks" web series, which reached its fourth season in July 2024. The latest installment focused on scams targeting vulnerable groups and barriers faced by persons with disabilities, drawing from real DBS client and employee stories.

As Karen Ngui noted of the campaign's foundation: "We can be braver when we are safer, with a trusted partner at our side."

DBS Enters Pitch Process as ASEAN's Most Valuable Brand

DBS was recognized as ASEAN's most valuable brand in 2025, giving Kuah a strong starting point as she prepares to brief prospective agency partners.

The pitch arrives during a period of active senior marketing appointments across the financial services sector in Asia Pacific. FNZ recently appointed Alasdair Munro as Chief Communications Officer, while Monks appointed Bharti Agrawal as APAC CFO for Marketing Services in Singapore. These moves reflect broader investment in senior marketing talent across the region.

DBS has not announced a timeline for concluding the creative pitch process.