DBS CEO: Singapore’s ‘Boring’ Stability Makes It a Haven in Turbulent Times

SINGAPORE — Against a backdrop of escalating global instability, Tan Su Shan, chief executive officer of DBS Group Holdings Ltd., is positioning Singapore as a critical refuge for international business and investment.

Speaking at the DBS Asia Future Forward conference on Monday, Tan highlighted the value of stability in an era defined by unpredictability. “I love it that the ‘Little Red Dot’ we all call home was open … predictable, and almost kind of boring,” she said. “In this huge time of volatility, ‘boring’ is not bad, right?”

The city-state has long been regarded as a bastion of stability due to its AAA-rated sovereign debt, steady political landscape, and strategic location at the center of Asian trade routes. This perception has grown stronger as global markets face disruptions ranging from trade wars and El Niño-driven weather crises to ongoing conflicts in Ukraine and Iran.

Tan emphasized that DBS, Southeast Asia’s largest bank by assets, mirrors these same qualities of reliability. She noted that the bank maintains “one of the safest credit ratings in the world,” bolstered by its status as a key partner in the nation’s fiscal ecosystem. Temasek Holdings, the state-owned investment firm managing S$518 billion ($404 billion) in assets as of March 31, remains DBS’s largest shareholder.

With global trade and supply chains increasingly fragmented, Tan asserted that DBS is well-equipped to assist clients in pivoting between markets. “If you need to diversify your upstream supply chain, just because you’re worried about geopolitics, because you’re worried about blockages, because you’re worried about the war and the Strait of Hormuz, DBS is a partner to help you,” she said, adding that the bank can facilitate rapid shifts to alternative markets.

Beyond geopolitical navigation, Tan addressed the evolving workforce dynamics in the age of artificial intelligence. Advocating for a focus on inherent adaptability, she shared her hiring philosophy: “Humans intrinsically are nimble and agile … I tell all my managers, hire for attitude – because you know you can’t buy attitude, you can’t train attitude.”