Ronald Ong

Chairman (Southeast Asia), Morgan Stanley and Chairman, Income Insurance

BBA, Class of 1980

Since graduating with a BBA from NUS Business School, Ronald Ong has gone on to be an industry stalwart in the banking industry, bringing with him more than 30 years of experience especially in Finance, as well as Mergers and Acquisitions. 

Ronald has worked at various banking corporations such as Chemical Bank (now known as JPMorgan Chase), Credit Suisse First Boston, and Deutsche Bank AG. Ronald spent most of his career with Morgan Stanley, rising to the ranks of CEO of Morgan Stanley Southeast Asia and Head of its Singapore Office in 2004. Over the years, his stints in many global banks helped him build strong and extensive client relationships regionally, and worldwide. 

But it is not all business with Ronald. Ronald regularly takes part in activities and initiatives to give back to society and present opportunities to those who may be less fortunate. In 2014, during his stint in Morgan Stanley, Ronald took part in a charity walkathon to raise funds for Child at Street 11 – an early childhood education provider in Ang Mo Kio. In 2019, Ronald was appointed as Chairman of NTUC Income, leading the way to delivering value and ensuring that all Singaporeans can gain access to insurance. 

Perhaps the most noticeable act of giving back is that of his contribution back to his alma mater – NUS. Together with his wife Lorna Tan, who always had a strong passion to uplift the underprivileged through education, Ronald set up an NUS Bursary known as the Lorna Tan Ong Bursary, which provides opportunities for talented female students to be successful, and to promote diversity in Singapore. “This is to honour her devotion to not only my family, but also her steadfast commitment to working with and helping needy and deserving students,” said Ronald when asked about the genesis behind the bursary. 

Ronald has certainly left a mark not only in the finance and banking sector, but also in the time and effort he puts in to ensure that the underprivileged get the support that they need.