Training Consultants - About ABS | Asian Banking School

Training Consultants

The in-house consultants at ABS bring with them decades of industry experience where they leverage on their extensive knowledge to develop and deliver practical and relevant training programmes for banking and finance professionals from all levels and across all areas.

Dr. Lim Guan Chye

Director of Commercial Banking Training

Dr. Paramsothy Vijayan

Director of Graduate Training & FSTEP

Cheah Wee Leong

Director of Investment Banking Training

Lew Taw Fong

Senior Training Consultant

Zurina Binti Othman

Senior Training Consultant

Sharon Liew Siu Wei

Senior Training Consultant

Shahrul Adzuan Ahmad

Training Consultant

Sylphy Chui

Training Consultant

Michelle Loo Phoy Wan

Training Consultant

John Cheah Soon Chye

Training Consultant

Career Opportunity

“I believe that ABS has a good value proposition for career bankers that are looking for a change. It is a unique career opportunity and they can always return to the industry at some point in the future, as working for ABS as a training consultant requires them to stay up-to-speed with the latest products and trends in their field of expertise.”

- Professor Colyn Gardner, CEO, Asian Banking School

Dr. Lim Guan Chye

Director of Commercial Banking Training

Dr Lim Guan Chye (GC) is the Director of Commercial Banking Training at the Asian Banking School. He has 25 years of experience as a banker with several local and foreign banks in the capacity as Regional Manager and Branch Manager; and is well-versed with credit evaluation/assessment, banking operations, branch management, the legal aspects of banking and behavioural economics. GC is also conversant in training program content design and customization for delivery.

GC also has worked for 10 years in group companies including a public listed company in various senior management capacities such as Finance Director and Group General Manager. He is a life-long learner and is passionate about sharing his experiences in banking and business. He recently published his 2nd book entitled “The Quick Guide Series – About Business & Banking” in January 2021.

He is a Certified Credit Professional awarded by IBBM in 2001 (now known as the Asian Institute of Chartered Bankers) and a certified trainer awarded by the Finance Accreditation Agency (FAA) and HRDF (now known as HRD Corp).

GC holds a 2nd Upper Honours Degree in Economics from the University of Malaya and a Doctorate in Business Administration (DBA) from the EU Business School, Geneva in 2019.

GC has obtained Chartered Banker MBA (Merit) from Bangor University, Wales as well as Chartered Banker status from MCBI, Edinburgh in 2023.

GC is an avid golfer, foodie and enjoys travelling.

Cheah Wee Leong

Director of Investment Banking Training

Cheah Wee Leong has more than 25 years’ experience working in the banking industry with local and foreign banks in various roles and capacities. A seasoned professional, Wee Leong brings with him broad experience as a former banker and management consultant.

Wee Leong started his career at Citibank in 1993 before joining US management consultancy firm Accenture in 1997. At Accenture, he was involved in managing large bank merger-integration, process re-engineering and transformation projects. He has worked in projects in various countries including Hong Kong, China, Singapore, Indonesia, Thailand, Mauritius and Saudi Arabia.

In 2003, Wee Leong joined CIMB as its Head of Operational Risk Management and led the implementation of the bank’s operational risk management and Basel 2 – Operational Risk framework. Subsequently, he assumed various senior roles in Trade Finance, Regional Transaction Banking, Corporate Banking, Treasury and Markets division and Group CEO office at CIMB. He was instrumental in helping CIMB win numerous awards in Transaction Banking in Malaysia, Indonesia and Thailand as Head of Regional Marketing, Regional Transaction Banking from 2011-2014. His last role at CIMB was as Director, Group Strategy.

Wee Leong holds a Bachelor of Business Administration from the USA and a Master of Business Administration (with Distinction) from the Anglia Ruskin University, UK. He obtained training from Citibank Asia Pacific Banking Institute in Singapore in 1995. He is a certified Chartered Banker, Finance Accreditation Agency (FAA) Certified Training Professional, Certified HRDF Trainer and a holder of the “Certificate in Climate Risk” (awarded by the Chartered Body Alliance) and PRINCE2 Foundation and Practitioner Certificate in Project Management. Wee Leong completed the “Leading the Sustainability in Transformation in Banking” programme with the Frankfurt School of Finance and Management (1 week course in Germany) in October 2022.

Wee Leong enjoys reading, jogging, cycling and travelling in his free time and is involved in community service work.

Dr. Paramsothy Vijayan

Director of Graduate Training & FSTEP

Dr Vijayan Paramsothy the Director of Graduate Training & FSTEP at the Asian Banking School. He started his career working in one of the big 8 Chartered Accountants and Management Consultancy firms in the UK. He has over 20 years of banking experience working in local and foreign banks up to a senior management level, ranging over a diverse range of disciplines.

He is currently involved in structuring bespoke technical and soft skill programmes for banks. In addition, he is involved in the curriculum working committee for professional qualification programmes such as the Chartered Banker and Bank Risk Management. He is also a designated Chartered Banker trainer, bringing a fresh approach to self-directed learning using mind-mapping techniques, case studies and problem-based learning. Dr Vijay has published banking and finance related text books and journal articles internationally, including, “Success Factors for the Implementation of Entrepreneurial Knowledge Management in Malaysian Banks” (Journal of Information & Knowledge Management, 2013).

Dr Vijay holds an Honours Degree in Accounting and Finance from Scotland, a Master of Science Degree in Multimedia Technology (Banking), a Doctor of Business Administration (Banking Strategy and Marketing) from Australia, and a Doctor of Philosophy (Knowledge Management in Banking) from Malaysia. He recently successfully completed his Chartered Banker MBA from the Bangor Business School. He is also a Certified Training Professional (ARTDO) and a Certified HRD Corp trainer.

Lew Taw Fong

Senior Training Consultant

Lew Taw Fong is a Senior Consultant at the Asian Banking School and has over 32 years of banking experience.

He has worked for the country’s leading bank, holding various key positions including Branch Manager, Regional Trainer and facilitator, Head of Trade Finance and Remittance, Chief Operating Officer of a Malaysian bank in Hong Kong and as its Group Organisational Trainer on his retirement in 2011. His areas of training expertise include Branch Banking Operations, Trade Financing, Credit and Lending, AMLA/CTF, Central Credit Reference Information Search (CCRIS) and Fraud Detection and Prevention. Lew also conducted examination related programmes for the banking industry, Branch Manager development programmes and Entrepreneur and Leadership programmes.

Lew holds a Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration (majoring in Management) from the University of Ottawa, Kansas, US. He is a Certified Manager Trainer from the Singapore Institute of Management, Certified HRDF trainer, Certified Training Professional by the Finance Accreditation Agency (FAA) and a certified FAA Assessor for Branch Managers. He was also a Master Trainer for the Microfinance Training for Practitioners 2017 programme, jointly organised by the Asian Banking School with Bank Negara Malaysia and the World Bank Group.

In July 2023, he obtained his Chartered Banker MBA (CBMBA) – Pass with Merit from Bangor University, Wales. Apart from MBA, this achievement also bears membership status with Chartered Banker Institute, UK.

Zurina Binti Othman

Senior Training Consultant

Zurina Othman has 29 years of experience in banking ranging from branch operations to credit/risk management. She has in-depth knowledge in business banking financing structure, business strategies, credit and risk management.

She started her career in 1995 as the operations officer in one of the leading banks in Malaysia, and successfully progressed to various key positions including the Head of Business Centres, Business Banking prior to her appointment as Chief Credit Officer (CCO) at a Development Financial Institution (DFI). As CCO, she was actively involved in training programmes and appointed as Chairman of the Credit Learning Council. Her areas of training expertise are in Credit Underwriting and Structuring, Credit Risk Management, Trade Financing and Islamic Banking.

Zurina holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Business Study, majoring in Finance, from Universiti Utara Malaysia (UUM). She obtained her Certified Credit Professional, Commercial Banking (CCP) from IBBM in 2004, and the Chartered Professional in Islamic Finance (CPIF) from the Chartered Institute of Islamic Finance Professionals in 2021. She is also a Certified HRDF Trainer and a Certified Expert in Sustainable Finance (CeiSF) from the Frankfurt School of Finance and Management, Germany.

Zurina enjoys travelling, outdoor activities and CSR work.

Sharon Liew Siu Wei

Senior Training Consultant

Sharon Liew is a Senior Consultant at the Asian Banking School (ABS) and has more than 17 years of banking and training experience. She started her career as a Senior Associate at BDO; leading audits of the government-linked group of companies under the Prime Minister’s Office from 2005-2007. Following that, she joined Bank Negara Malaysia (BNM) as Financial Supervisor where her responsibilities included on-site and off-site surveillance of financial institutions in Malaysia. Pursuing her passion for teaching, Sharon then went on to teach banking and finance at the Tunku Abdul Rahman University College from 2014 to 2021.

At ABS, Sharon develops and delivers customised Sustainable Finance programmes for clients including designing Sustainable Finance Structured Learning Pathways. Currently, Sharon is working on expanding partnerships with government agencies to enhance the scope of training offerings to the banking and non-banking industry. She is also involved in conducting Qualification-related training.

Sharon conducts training in English, Bahasa Malaysia, Mandarin and Cantonese and has a teaching permit registered under the Ministry of Higher Education Malaysia. She is a qualified Chartered Accountant registered under the Malaysian Institute of Accountants and is a Certified HRDF Trainer. Sharon has a Bachelor of Accounting from the University Putra Malaysia and a Postgraduate Diploma in Teaching from the Open University Malaysia. She also holds a Professional Certificate in Islamic Finance from INCEIF, Diploma in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL) from the London Teacher Training College and is a Certified Teacher in Teaching Chinese as a Foreign Language (CTCSOL) from Hanban. She is a Certified Expert in Sustainable Finance awarded by the Frankfurt School of Finance & Management, Germany.

Shahrul Adzuan Ahmad

Training Consultant

Shahrul Adzuan Ahmad is a training consultant at the Asian Banking School and has 27 years of working experience in the banking sector, with 24 of those years doing training and development at several banks.

His working experience includes branch operations, credit, training administration support as well as developing, delivering, and facilitating training programmes. The training programmes that he has conducted include Foreign Exchange Policy (formerly known as Foreign Exchange Administration Rules), credit, AML/CFT, leadership development and soft skills. At the Asian Banking School, Shahrul has conducted multiple training programmes relating to the Foreign Exchange Policy, Certified Credit Executive (CCE) and Retail Credit Professional (RCP). He also maintains a steady working relationship with the Foreign Exchange Policy Department of Bank Negara Malaysia for regular industry updates and training requirements as well as matters related to the Foreign Exchange Policy.

Shahrul holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Human Resources Development from the University of Technology Malaysia and a Diploma in Banking Studies from the Institute of Technology MARA (now known as the University of Technology MARA). He is a Certified Training Professional (CTP), DiSC - Certified Behavioural Consultant (CBC) and Certified HRDF Trainer.

Sylphy Chui

Training Consultant

Sylphy Chui is a training consultant at the Asian Banking School and has more than 20 years of experience in the banking & training industry. Her experience in the banking sector are in credit sales and marketing, credit evaluation and credit approvals, consumer and commercial loans, and branch management.

She started her career as a Senior Sales and Marketing Executive at a Public Bank Berhad branch where she gained valuable knowledge in branch operations. She then went on to the regional office, where she supported more than 15 branches in the sales team and gained recognition as the Top Three Sales Achiever for 2003 and 2004. In 2005, after receiving the Regional Top Sales Achiever Award, Sylphy was promoted to Sales and Marketing Manager, leading the sales team in the Regional Office. She was promoted again in 2007 and became Business Manager at a branch in Kuala Lumpur, where she led the Credit Department. In 2012, she was promoted to Branch Manager. During this time, the branch she managed maintained themselves as an award-winning branch for five years consecutively from 2013 to 2017.

Sylphy holds a Bachelor’s degree in Commerce, double majoring in Economics and Marketing, from Curtin University of Technology, Perth, Australia and is also a Certified Credit Professional (CCP) through the Institute of Bankers Malaysia (now known as the Asian Institute of Chartered Bankers). She is a Certified Training Professional through the Finance Accreditation Agency and a Certified HRDF Trainer.

Michelle Loo Phoy Wan

Training Consultant

Michelle Loo is a trainer & consultant in Asian Banking School under Commercial Banking Training team. She has been in the banking & training industry for 20 years. Her banking experience are in secured and unsecured lending, wealth products, bancassurance, SME banking and branch management.

Michelle started her career in the banking industry with HSBC Bank as a Mortgage Executive. In 2008, she joined OCBC as a Business Development Manager in SME Banking and during which time, the team she was in achieved Top 5 in the nationwide overall performance. Following that, she joined Maybank as a Mortgage Consultant. She was one of the pioneers in the Direct Sales Team and recognized as the Nationwide Top Team for 3 consecutive years. She then went on to join Alliance Bank with the position of Branch Manager. Subsequently, she joined Public Bank in Regional Sales and Support in SME Bancassurance, supporting 19 branches in the Klang Valley. Her main task was to maintain Regional top sales, which she achieved for 2 consecutive years.

She is actively involved in developing classroom & e-Learning content, storyboarding and gamification, as well as having the role as a Trainer for qualification, non-qualification & customised programme in Asian Banking School. She holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Economics majoring in Finance from University Putra Malaysia. She is also a Certified HRDF Trainer. She obtained Professional Banker qualification (Associate Banker of AICB) in the year of 2021 and as a Certified Experts in Sustainable Finance from Frankfurt School of Business, Germany in 2023.

Outside of work, she enjoys listening to music and reading books on personal development.

John Cheah Soon Chye

Training Consultant

John Cheah has 24 years of working experience with a career that spanned being at an international consultancy and 3 foreign banks. He spent 4 years in external audit and 20 years in banking, where he specialised in Anti-Money Laundering and Counter Terrorism Financing (AML/CFT). His audit experience included performing internal and external audits at various types of companies, especially at insurance firms.

His banking career saw him covering multiple roles within the AML/CFT Compliance function. This included policy advisory, transaction monitoring, suspicious transaction reporting, procedures development and other related areas. He spent the last 10 years of his career developing and enhancing the AML/CFT framework of a commercial bank, which included pioneering an AML/CFT review team, designing AML/CFT risk assessments for branches and the entity, as well as running the bank’s AML/CFT training programme for all segments within the organisation.

John has a Bachelor’s degree in Accounting and Finance from the University of London and was an ACCA member. He moved into the space of Financial Crime Compliance soon after and has been a certified member of the Association of Anti-Money Laundering Specialists (ACAMS) since 2011. He also holds the Advanced Diploma in AML/CFT issued jointly by the Asian Institute of Chartered Bankers and International Compliance Association. John is also a HRD Corp certified trainer.

On the personal front, John enjoys public speaking and achieved the Distinguished Toastmaster (DTM) status from the global organisation Toastmasters International in 2012.