Tan Su Shan, chief executive of Singapore's DBS Bank, has ranked sixth globally on Fortune's 2026 Most Powerful Women list, the highest position ever achieved by a Southeast Asian financial services leader and a signal of the region's growing clout in global banking.
The recognition, reported by The Business Times, places Tan ahead of executives from major Western financial institutions and reflects DBS's transformation from a regional player into Asia's most valuable bank by market capitalization.
DBS is worth more than $90 billion, larger than several European megabanks, and has aggressively expanded its digital banking footprint across Southeast Asia, India, and Greater China. Under Tan's leadership, the bank has prioritized technology-driven growth, launching digital-only services in India, Indonesia, and the Philippines while maintaining its dominance in wealth management and corporate banking.
The Fortune ranking matters less for the accolade itself than for what it represents: a Southeast Asian bank competing successfully on the global stage. For decades, regional banks were seen as provincial institutions serving domestic markets. DBS has challenged that perception by investing heavily in technology, recruiting top talent globally, and expanding beyond traditional banking into payments, insurance, and investment platforms.
Tan, who became CEO in 2021, inherited a bank already recognized as one of the world's best. Her challenge has been sustaining that momentum while navigating rising interest rates, geopolitical tensions, and intense competition from Chinese and Japanese banks. DBS reported net profit of S$10.3 billion ($7.6 billion) in 2025, up 14 percent from the previous year, driven by net interest income and wealth management fees.
