Management Team - About ABS | Asian Banking School

Management Team

Meet Our Management Team

With a diverse range of expertise and experience, and a shared commitment to excellence, the ABS Management Team drives the organisation towards success.

Prof. Dr. Manivanan Saman

CEO, Asian Banking School

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

Helena Chin

Director of Operations

Rafizah Abdul Rahman

Director of Corporate Communication

Ang Kar Wee

Director of Commercial & Partnership

Professor Dr. Manivanan Saman

CEO, Asian Banking School

With over 28 years of exemplary experience in education and leadership, Dr. Manivanan Saman has built an outstanding career that bridges local expertise with global impact. His leadership journey includes serving as Vice Chancellor of a prestigious private international university in Malaysia, Executive Group Dean and Director of Development at a leading institution in Myanmar and holding key positions in prominent educational organisations across Europe, Australia, and Asia.

Dr. Manivanan’s career is distinguished by his ability to drive transformative initiatives, particularly in collaboration with leading accreditation bodies and universities in the UK, Australia, Europe, India, and China. His efforts have not only shaped academic institutions but have also elevated education standards globally, fostering meaningful connections between academia and industry.

In Malaysia, Dr. Manivanan is a highly respected figure in the private education sector. As a National Council Member of the National Association of Private Educational Institutions (NAPEI), he has worked closely with the Ministry of Higher Education (MOHE) to champion policies that enhance the growth and quality of private education. His dedication has made a significant impact on creating future-ready graduates and advancing the nation’s educational landscape.

A Vision for the Asian Banking School
Taking the helm as Chief Executive Officer of Asian Banking School, Dr. Manivanan envisions elevating the institution to greater heights. Renowned for its pivotal role in nurturing talent for the banking and financial sectors, ABS stands poised to lead regional and global advancements under his guidance.

Dr. Lim Guan Chye

Director of Commercial Banking Training

Dr Lim Guan Chye (GC) leads a team of experienced training consultants that is responsible for the delivery of updated customised and exam-based training programmes.

GC has 25 years of experience as a banker with several local and foreign banks and another 10 years in senior management in the commercial sector in group companies that include a public listed company.

GC is a Chartered Banker and believes in life-long learning having attained his Doctorate in Business Administration and Chartered Banker MBA (Merit) from Bangor University, Wales in recent years. He also completed the Cambridge Summer School Programme at the Judge Business School, University of Cambridge, as well as the Global Banking Leaders Programme at the Bayes Business School (formerly Cass), City, University of London.

Passionate about sharing his experiences in banking and business, he authored his third book entitled “Business Credit & Lending” in 2024.

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. Since joining Asian Banking School in 2017, he has been actively designing courses and delivering training for the industry.

Wee Leong is a Chartered Banker, “Certified Expert in ESG and Impact Investing” (awarded by the Frankfurt School of Finance and Management) and a holder of the “Certificate in Climate Risk” (awarded by the Chartered Body Alliance, UK) and the PRINCE2 Foundation and Practitioner Certificate in Project Management.

Wee Leong has completed the “Leading the Sustainability in Transformation in Banking” programme at the Frankfurt School of Finance and Management (Germany) and the “Global Shifts and Risk for Banking Leaders” at the Said Business School, University of Oxford (UK).

Dr. Paramsothy Vijayan

Director of Graduate Training & FSTEP

Dr. Vijayan Paramsothy brings over 30 years of experience in banking and consulting to his role and specialises in designing bank training programmes focused on agile leadership, ethical sales and marketing, and people management. He also develops and delivers programmes in Fintech and Digital Banking.

Dr. Vijayan is a Chartered Banker MBA (Distinction) graduate. He holds degrees in Finance, Multimedia Technology, Digital Banking, with a DBA in Banking Strategy and a PhD in E-Learning & Knowledge Management. As a HRD Corp certified trainer, he incorporates innovative teaching methods like mind-mapping and case studies. His expertise is further demonstrated through his publications of study texts for the Chartered Banker qualification.

Rafizah Abdul Rahman

Director of Corporate Communication

Rafizah Abdul Rahman is responsible for building and maintaining ABS’s brand identity and reputation, which involves managing internal and external communications across all platforms. She oversees and contributes to the development of collaterals, which are produced in-house.

Rafizah brings with her over 32 years of creative work experience; with 18 of the most recent years as a Communication and Branding professional for Tenaga Nasional Berhad, the Institute of Bankers Malaysia (IBBM or now known as AICB), SIDC and ABS. Her last task at IBBM was as a member of the working committee for the restructuring of the institute and to coordinate the rebranding initiatives and launch of the ABS and AICB logos.

Prior to that, Rafizah was well known in the Malaysian art world as a gallerist, curator, consultant, exhibition organiser and all-round friend of the arts. She has also worked for two local private colleges in student affairs.

Helena Chin

Director of Operations

Helena Chin started her career in Advertising and transitioned to teaching in 1990. She had over 25 years of experience in teaching and managing higher education institutions before joining the Asian Banking School (ABS) in 2015.

She oversees the day-to-day management of business operations and works with the CEO to ensure that the organisation runs smoothly and efficiently, aligning operational goals with ABS’s broader strategic objectives.

Helena holds an MA in Design with Learning and Teaching in Higher Education from Kingston University in London. She is also an Associate Member of the Higher Education Academy of the United Kingdom and a Certified TTT HRDF trainer.

Ang Kar Wee

Director of Commercial & Partnership

Ang Kar Wee leads the development of ABS Singapore's regional training programmes, focusing on sustainability, technology, risks, and geopolitics. With two decades of experience in consulting and training for Fortune 500 companies, particularly banks in Asia, he brings a wealth of expertise. His career includes working in Hong Kong for Finance Asia and Euromoney before returning to Singapore, where he now plans public workshops, bespoke training, and e-learning projects.

He holds an honours degree in engineering from Nanyang Technological University and is committed to lifelong learning. Most recently, he completed the Boston Consulting Group's Sustainability for Senior Leaders Programme. Passionate about sustainability, he believes Asia must take the lead in securing the planet's future.