Société Générale has appointed Joseph Chia as Head of Supply Chain Management for Asia Pacific, strengthening its transaction banking franchise as corporate demand shifts toward working capital and open-account trade solutions.
Based in Singapore, Chia takes the role with immediate effect. He reports regionally to Soo Tat Kua, Head of Global Transaction and Payment Services for Asia Pacific, and globally to Aurélien Viry, CEO of Société Générale Factoring.
The hire lands as corporates across the region move away from documentary trade finance toward open-account structures, pushing supply chain finance up the transaction banking agenda. Chia will oversee the bank’s accounts receivable and accounts payable solutions across Asia Pacific, part of a push to sharpen its client offering and grow the transaction banking business.
Chia brings more than 25 years in supply chain finance, trade finance, and transaction banking across the region. He joins from UOB, where he was Senior Vice President, Regional Group Sales, Financial Supply Chain Management, delivering working capital and supply chain finance to corporate clients. Before that he spent more than 17 years at Japan’s SMBC, rising to Group Head of Supply Chain Finance for Asia Pacific and leading teams across 13 markets on business growth, product innovation, and client solutions.
His expertise spans working capital, receivables and payables finance, digital trade, ESG-linked supply chain finance, and financial institution trade in emerging markets, including work with multilateral organisations, export credit agencies, and trade credit insurers.
“Joseph’s appointment underscores our ambition to further strengthen our Supply Chain Management capabilities across Asia Pacific,” said Soo Tat Kua. “With his extensive regional experience and deep expertise in working capital and trade solutions, he is exceptionally well positioned to help our clients optimize their supply chains, unlock greater value and support the continued growth of our transaction banking franchise.”