Mizuho Bank has announced the launch of the Mizuho Singapore Foundation with a US$1 million ($1.34 million) donor-advised fund (DAF) with TT Foundation Advisors, a Temasek Trust initiative, which will serve as the foundation’s philanthropy adviser.
The launch was announced at Mizuho Bank Singapore’s 50th anniversary gala dinner, held on July 17 at Capella Singapore with Deputy Prime Minister Gan Kim Yong as guest-of-honour.
Also in attendance were Mizuho Financial Group’s Chairman Seiji Imai, Mizuho Bank’s CEO for Asia Pacific Koichi Zaiki, Mizuho Bank’s co-CEO for Asia Pacific Yasuhiro Kubota and Mizuho Bank Singapore’s CEO Josephine Lok.
They were joined by more than 300 clients, industry partners and other stakeholders.
Lok says the Mizuho Singapore Foundation will 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.”
See also: Temasek Trust launches philanthropy advisory services arm; former UBS executive director to lead
As part of its Golden Jubilee celebrations, Mizuho Bank Singapore also announced it will support 50 trainees and employees over the next five years under the Technology in Finance Immersion Programme (TFIP) and International Postings Programme (iPOST). Both initiatives will be managed by the Institute of Banking and Finance (IBF).
The initiative will see Mizuho reskill aspiring mid-career professionals for roles in cybersecurity, cloud computing, data analytics and software engineering with AI applications, among others.
Meanwhile, iPOST will offer Mizuho employees the opportunity to undertake attachments throughout Mizuho’s network of more than 800 offices around the world.
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Mizuho Bank is the retail and corporate banking unit of Japanese financial services giant Mizuho Financial Group. According to the group, it has 60,000 employees, 150 years of banking experience and assets of approximately 200 trillion yen ($1.72 trillion) on a consolidated basis.
50 years ago, Mizuho established local offices in Singapore for Dai-Ichi Kangyo Bank, Fuji Bank and the Industrial Bank of Japan. Today, Mizuho Bank Singapore serves over 2,000 corporate clients with a team of over 1,000 employees. Mizuho established its APAC regional office in Singapore in April 2023.
Masahiro Kihara, Mizuho Financial Group’s President and CEO, says in a press statement: “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 adds: “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.”
Photo: Mizuho Bank Singapore
