Bank of Singapore has appointed Robin Heng as managing director for Southeast Asia.

Mr Heng joins the company from UBS in Singapore and Hong Kong. In his new role, which takes effect on 1 March, he will be responsible for the bank's marketing and business operations in the region and will report directly to Bahren Shaari, the bank's Southeast Asia head, the company said in a statement.

Bank of Singapore, which was created through OCBC Bank's take over of ING Groep's Asian private banking operations in October 2009, has been beefing up its executive lineup after being renamed this year from its former name, ING Asia Private Bank.

OCBC chief executive officer Renato de Guzman had said in an earlier statement that the company intends to hire 30 new relationship managers in 2010.