Lee Seng Wee

Upon returning to Singapore, Lee joined the Lee Rubber Company and rose to the position of vice-chairman. He subsequently became a director of the second-largest bank in Southeast Asia, OCBC Bank, where he served from 1966 to 2016, and later chairman from 1995 to 2003.^[3] He orchestrated a S$2.4 billion takeover bid for Singapore's then-fifth largest bank, Keppel Capital Holdings in June 2001.^[4]

In 2003, Lee stepped down as chairman and moved to a non-executive position, but continued to guide the strategic direction of the bank. Major investments and acquisitions during his long tenure include OCBC-NISP in Indonesia, OCBC China Bank, OCBC-Wing Hang in Hong Kong; the private banking business of ING Asia Bank, majority control of Great Eastern Life Insurance and a 20 percent stake in Bank of Ningbo in China. The net profit after tax for OCBC Group was almost S$4 billion for 2015.

In addition to his role in OCBC, Lee was also a director of several companies, including Lee Rubber Group Companies and Lee Foundation.^[5] He served as a board member of the GIC, Singapore's sovereign wealth fund and the Council of Presidential Advisors, Singapore.

Lee was conferred the Distinguished Service Order in 2001.^[6][7] In 2006, he received the Woodrow Wilson Award for Corporate Citizenship in New York for contributions to Singapore.^[8]

On 7 August 2015, at the age of 85, Lee died of complications arising from a head injury sustained during a fall at home.^[9]