Standard Chartered names Jacob Berman as Australia CEO

Berman first joined SC in 2012 and has worked in Singapore and Dubai.

Standard Chartered appoints Jacob Berman as chief executive officer of Standard Chartered Australia.

Berman will oversee the bank’s operations in Australia and be responsible for strengthening the bank’s franchise further for its corporate and institutional banking clients.

Berman will bring over 20 years of international work experience in his new role, a decade of which was with Standard Chartered. He first joined the SC’s Singapore business in 2012 and was reassigned to the Dubai United Arab Emirates in 2014 where he served as managing director, global banking.

In 2019, he was appointed head of client coverage in Japan. Under his leadership, the Japan Corporate, Commercial and Institutional Banking business achieved record origination revenues and saw significant improvement in client and network engagement, SC said.

In his appointment announcement, Berman expressed excitement for “opportunities that lie ahead for the franchise.”

“I firmly believe in the potential of the Australian market and look forward to further supporting the economic growth of the country and the business needs of corporates and institutions nationwide. We believe that our commitment to net zero and sustainable growth, combined with our extensive network and expertise will further contribute to Australia’s plan to be net zero by 2050,” Berman said.

He added that SC has a great talent pool in Australia.

The Australia franchise has reportedly been assisting clients to transition through its sustainable finance propositions, in order to meet net zero carbon emission commitments by 2025 (operations) and by 2050 (financing).

In 2022, for example, SC Australia supported the A$1.1b redevelopment of the Frankston Hospital in Melbourne. 

In 2023 and 2024 respectively, SC Australia was also involved as a mandated lead arranger in projects to develop Victoria’s transition to renewable energy through two 200 MW Battery Energy Storage Systems, to support Victoria’s electricity grid.