Former actor James Lye named global head of international banking at Standard Chartered

SINGAPORE — Former Mediacorp actor James Lye, most well-known in Singapore for his starring roles in local dramas Triple Nine and VR Man, has been named global head of international banking at Standard Chartered.

The bank said in a statement on Thursday (Oct 20) that Mr Lye, who was previously at Citibank, will take up the newly created role on Nov 1 and be based in Singapore, where he will lead the group’s international banking team.

Mr Lye, 53, had a brief acting career in the late 1990s, taking the title role in Mediacorp drama VR Man in 1998.

Mr Lye gained fame in Singapore when he got the lead role in police drama Triple Nine, which won him the 1997 Star Award for most popular newcomer. He also starred in the 1997 drama The Price of Peace and Season of Love in 1998. 

He left the entertainment industry following his last drama, The Millennium Bug, in 1998.

Mr Lye was most recently head of markets for Citibank International Personal Bank Singapore, a business unit specialising in offshore investment and wealth management products and services to high-net-worth individuals living outside Singapore.

According to the statement from Standard Chartered, Mr Lye’s time with Citibank saw him grow his career through various individual client relationship and product roles to regional team leadership roles.

In his new role, he will report to Standard Chartered’s global head of affluent clients, Mr Raymond Ang, and head of consumer, private and business banking for Asia and global head of digital business, Mr Samir Subberwal.

Standard Chartered currently offers international banking in four of its cross-border hubs, namely Singapore, Hong Kong, Dubai, and Jersey.

Mr Lye is married to television host Diana Ser and they have three children aged 10 to 15.