Luis Pereira

Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation ( SMBC ) has appointed Luis Pereira as co-regional chief information officer ( CIO ) for its Asia-Pacific division, effective May 13.

Based in Singapore, Pereira will lead the bank’s digital transformation, enhance resiliency, and drive innovation in financial technology to strengthen SMBC’s competitive position and deliver exceptional value to customers and stakeholders in the region. Partnering with Fumitaka Kato, co-regional CIO of the Asia-Pacific division, he will report to Takashi Yamaguchi, head of the governance planning department, Asia-Pacific division. He will also report to group CIO Hideki Takamatsu and group deputy CIO Nobuyuki Takiguchi.

With 30 years of experience in the banking industry across Singapore, London and Hong Kong,  Pereira brings a wealth of global expertise with him. Having held multiple leadership roles, including his most recent position as global CIO for wealth management and regional CIO for Asia-Pacific in a 2,000-plus-strong organization. Prior to that, he also assumed roles of head of APAC technology and change and regional head of IT for APAC.

He has driven significant improvements in change delivery, front-to-back processing, and operational efficiency. His strategic partnerships with business stakeholders have optimized support models, positioning him to advance the bank’s technological advancements in Asia- Pacific.

“Luis’ extensive experience and global perspective make him the ideal leader to guide our digital transformation as SMBC continues to accelerate our digital journey in the Asia-Pacific region,” says Katsufumi Uchida, head of SMBC Asia-Pacific division. “His proven ability to navigate complex financial landscapes and drive technological innovation will be instrumental as we transform our infrastructure and embed a data-driven approach across our operations.”