Société Générale hires Chia to lead Asia Pacific supply chain finance push

Société Générale has appointed Joseph Chia as the new head of supply chain management for the Asia Pacific region to meet the increasing corporate demand for open account trade finance. Based in Singapore, Chia will oversee the development of the bank's accounts receivable and accounts payable solutions across regional markets. This strategic hire reflects the lender's focus on supply chain management as a core pillar of its transaction banking business as clients transition away from traditional documentary trade instruments.

Joseph Chia joins Société Générale with more than 25 years of experience in corporate banking, structured commodity finance, and supply chain finance across the Asia Pacific region. He most recently served as senior vice-president for regional group sales and financial supply chain management at UOB. Prior to that, he spent 17 years at SMBC, where he eventually led the supply chain finance group for Asia Pacific, managing regional teams across 13 markets. His background includes a proven track record of building trade franchises in emerging markets through partnerships with multilateral agencies, export credit agencies, and trade credit insurers.

In his new Singapore-based role, Chia reports to Soo Tat Kua, head of global transaction and payment services for Asia Pacific, and Aurélien Viry, CEO of Société Générale Factoring. His primary responsibility involves expanding the bank’s suite of accounts receivable and accounts payable solutions. This move is part of a broader effort by Société Générale to bolster its supply chain management capabilities and broaden its transaction banking franchise in response to multinational clients increasingly adopting open account solutions over traditional trade instruments.

The appointment of Chia is a key component of Société Générale’s wider strategy to strengthen its trade and transaction banking leadership globally. Recent leadership additions include Zvi Wohlgemuth as global head of development and structured export finance, and Eric Bonnin as head of trade and sustainable commodity finance for Switzerland. According to Soo Tat Kua, Chia’s expertise in working capital and trade solutions is expected to help clients optimize their supply chains and unlock value, supporting the bank's long-term growth ambitions in the region.