Singapore, 17 July 2024: Mizuho Bank, Ltd. announces the launch of the Mizuho Singapore Foundation today, underscoring Mizuho's long-term commitment to driving social impact and supporting philanthropic initiatives in the local community.
The Mizuho Singapore Foundation will encompass a US$1 million donor-advised fund (DAF) with TT Foundation Advisors, a Temasek Trust initiative, which is also serving as the Foundation’s Philanthropy Advisor. Establishing the Foundation marks a significant milestone in Mizuho Bank Singapore’s commitment to supporting and enriching the community.
Ms Josephine Lok, CEO for Mizuho Bank Singapore said: “We set up the Mizuho Singapore Foundation to contribute and give back to Singapore society. It reflects our commitment to making a positive impact beyond banking, and we look forward to working with TT Foundation Advisors to strengthen our philanthropic capabilities to support communities meaningfully.”
The launch of the Foundation was announced at Mizuho Bank Singapore’s 50th Anniversary Gala Dinner, held this evening at Capella Singapore with Deputy Prime Minister, Minister for Trade and Industry and Chairman of the Monetary Authority of Singapore Mr Gan Kim Yong as Guest-of-Honour.
Also in attendance was Mizuho Financial Group’s Chairman Mr Seiji Imai, Mizuho Bank’s CEO for Asia Pacific Mr Koichi Zaiki, Mizuho Bank’s co-CEO for Asia Pacific Mr Yasuhiro Kubota and Mizuho Bank Singapore’s CEO Ms Josephine Lok. They were joined by more than 300 clients, industry partners and other stakeholders.
50 years of Banking Excellence
Mizuho’s journey in Singapore began with the establishment of local offices for Dai-Ichi Kangyo Bank, Fuji Bank, and the Industrial Bank of Japan, all of which were integral to Singapore's growth from 1974.
Mizuho has grown alongside Singapore from its early days as a budding industrial nation to its current position as a sophisticated city-state. Today, Mizuho Bank Singapore serves over 2,000 corporate clients with a team of over 1,000 employees.
In April 2023, Mizuho established its APAC regional office in Singapore, strategically anchoring its operations across the APAC region in the Lion City. Leveraging the expertise of its experienced bankers and dedicated employees, Mizuho provides a comprehensive suite of corporate and investment banking services offering unparalleled access and insights across Asia.
50 over 5 years: Growing Singapore’s talent pool in financial services
As part of its Golden Jubilee celebrations, Mizuho Bank Singapore also reaffirmed its commitment to growing its pipeline of Singapore talent to take on the opportunities in innovation and new technologies.
Mizuho Bank Singapore will support 50 trainees and employees over the next 5 years under the Technology in Finance Immersion Programme (TFIP) and International Postings Programme (iPOST), with both initiatives managed by the Institute of Banking and Finance (IBF).
The TFIP initiative will see Mizuho reskill aspiring mid-career professionals for technology roles such as cybersecurity, cloud computing, data analytics and software engineering (with AI application). Meanwhile, iPOST will afford Mizuho employees the opportunity to undertake attachments throughout Mizuho’s network of more than 800 offices around the world.
Over the years, Mizuho Bank Singapore has been a staunch advocate of developing Singapore’s workforce in the banking and financial services sector. These efforts include the Mizuho Scholarship offered to third year National University of Singapore Business School students since 2008, and more recently supporting IBF’s Golden Jubilee ITE Scholarship.
Mr Masahiro Kihara, Mizuho Financial Group’s President and CEO said: “As an integral part of Mizuho’s global operations and the regional hub in the Asia Pacific region, Mizuho Bank Singapore plays an important role in creating new value for our clients and society as a whole.”
He added: “We are proud to celebrate 50 years of banking excellence and leadership in Singapore and beyond. We thank our clients and stakeholders for their continued trust and support, and our colleagues past and present for their dedication and commitment to the firm. With our new values of Integrity, Passion, Agility, Creativity and Empathy, we will fulfill our corporate purpose together!”
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About Mizuho Financial Group
Mizuho Financial Group, Inc. is one of the largest, full-service financial institutions in the world, with approximately 60,000 employees, 150 years of banking experience, and assets of approximately JPY 200 trillion on a consolidated basis. We have a global network encompassing financial and business centers in some 35 countries/regions around the world, in addition to a nationwide network and one of the largest customer bases in Japan.
Rooted in some of the largest, most influential financial institutions in Japanese history, Mizuho has been an important part of our clients’ growth for more than a century. Our financial strength, expertise, client focused values, and unwavering support makes Mizuho a trusted banking partner.
As a full service financial group, we combine extensive industry and local market expertise, a broad geographic presence, and a comprehensive range of financing and advisory solutions. Our services include corporate, syndicated and project finance, and cover loan and debt capital markets, that address both industry and client needs.