A True Passion for Wealth Management

Ask UBS executive director, Ms Sylvia Lim, what she finds fulfilling about her job, and it's clear that finance – particularly in the field of wealth management – is inextricably a deep passion in her life.

“The nature of wealth management itself, the buzz of the financial markets, the people whom I get to meet and serve, the impact on families and communities through wealth management, are all reasons why I love what I do,” explains Ms Lim.

Beyond finding great satisfaction in the fact that she and her team make an impact in the well-being of their clients and families, she also takes pride in being part of a work initiative known as “Women Initiative”, that empowers women in financial literacy.

“Empowering those who need more help in achieving financial literacy or wish to take charge of their finances but do not know how or where to begin is something I would like to do more,” says Ms Lim, who holds a Master of Science in Wealth Management (MWM) from Singapore Management University’s (SMU) Lee Kong Chian School of Business (LKCSB).

While wealth management has always been a topic close to her heart, it was the global financial crisis in 2008 that triggered Ms Lim to rethink her obligations as a banking professional as well as the need to offer more holistic solutions to serve her clients better.

She explains: "In Private Banking, our expertise and focus tend to be on managing clients' private wealth. 'Holistic solutions' would consider not merely the wealth they have created but also their business wealth. During the financial crisis, I saw how adequate planning of private and business wealth help clients weather storms better.”

Armed with the desire to redefine herself and refine her knowledge in wealth management, coupled with the support from her previous company, she signed up for the MWM programme at SMU in 2011.

Spread over 12 months, the programme is segmented into five study blocks of about 2.5 weeks each. One of these study blocks is spent overseas – studying in the Swiss Finance Institute in Switzerland and Yale University in the US. 

For Ms Lim, one of the most memorable parts of the programme was the overseas study stint. Describing it as a great learning experience, she appreciated how it offered her and her course mates a deeper understanding of wealth management from another perspective in a different culture.

She shares: “In Switzerland, I was exposed to the very rigorous approach and experience in succession planning given their rich heritage."

This was especially meaningful for her as she had just helped a client – who had suddenly fallen ill – to complete an extensive succession plan for his family around the same time.  

"To help develop his succession plan, I spent many afternoons with my client in his home office while he took us through his stories and family situations. That was a very poignant moment for me professionally and personally. Inspired by what I learnt in Zurich and this experience, I wrote a paper on this as part of the coursework requirement. To my surprise, I won a Book Prize for the paper, and I only got to know about that during Commencement!" she recounts.  

Jointly designed by SMU, eminent universities in Switzerland and the US, and key industry partners, the programme also enabled Ms Lim and her peers to connect with and learn from established international practitioners and academics.

Ms Lim graduated from the course in 2012 and now manages a team of private bankers who serve high net worth clients at UBS. Looking back on her experience with the MWM, she says: “The MWM program showed me new paradigms, reframed my mindset and offered me an invaluable network in the industry."

One piece of advice that Ms Lim has for those looking to enrol in the MWM programme would be to "be prepared to be challenged mentally and physically".

She elaborates: "Be open and enjoy the experience to the fullest. Don't look at it as a paper chase, think of it as a learning opportunity that would enrich your life." 

Offered at SMU’s Lee Kong Chian School of Business, the Master of Science in Wealth Management programme is Asia’s first full-time master’s programme in wealth management. It is ranked first in Asia by Financial Times Global Masters in Finance Post-experience Ranking 2018 survey. The programme is also the first in Singapore to be IBF-accredited under the new 2018 IBF Standards for Wealth Management – Relationship Management (Private Banking).