Freda Dan

Senior Vice President and Regional Manager – Asia Pacific Middle Market Banking

Wells Fargo Bank Hong Kong

In commercial banking, maintaining long-term client relationships is what counts. “If you stay close to customers and provide great service, they will stay loyal to the bank,” says Freda Dan, head of Middle Market Banking for Wells Fargo in Asia Pacific.

From her office on the 27th floor of Three Pacific Place in Admiralty, Hong Kong, she manages a team of 10 team members based in Hong Kong, China, Singapore, and Taiwan. They cater to the financial needs of existing U.S. customers of Wells Fargo with sizable presence in the region by offering them customizable credit and trade financing solutions, deposits, treasury management, and foreign exchange services. The team also manages the banking relationships with Asian mid-cap companies doing business in the U.S. “Some of these client relationships go back many years,” says Freda.

Growing in the job

With 20 years of experience at Wells Fargo in Hong Kong, Freda can look back on a career marked by a steady progression and expanding responsibilities. A Hong Kong native, Freda has extensive experience in corporate and commercial banking with previous jobs at Standard Chartered Bank and Credit Suisse in the city.

She joined Norwest Bank Minnesota in Hong Kong in 1998 and became part of Wells Fargo after the two banks merged later the same year. At Wells Fargo, Freda advanced her career first as a credit manager, then as a senior relationship manager and later as head of subsidiary business across several countries for the Global Banking Group.

Wells Fargo’s acquisition of Wachovia’s global business operations in 2008 increased the scale of the business. “Throughout the change, we continued to manage client relationships and to expand them further,” recalls Freda.

She sees her current role as a regional leader under the Global Advisory Specialty Group establishing the Middle Market Banking business in APAC as one of her biggest achievements at Wells Fargo. Her leadership in bringing in new international commercial banking business and establishing long-term client relationships drives forward Wells Fargo’s growth strategy in the region.

In the words of Freda, working hard, staying focused and persevering during ups and downs are the skills which have helped her to be successful in her career at Wells Fargo.

People culture

For Freda the thing that stands out most at Wells Fargo is the working atmosphere. “I like the openness, the freedom to work based on what you see as best practice. Team work across functions and lines of business is actively encouraged. Working with team members in different functions is a very positive experience. Openly discussing issues, taking ownership and trying to jointly find win-win solutions for clients and the bank is what ultimately brings us success.”

“At Wells Fargo, you will be positively received. Team members are friendly and our executives – even very senior leaders – are approachable and down-to-earth.”

Freda sums up well her long experience of working at the bank: “Wells Fargo has a people culture and team members are our most valuable asset. Here we value team work and celebrate success. Wells Fargo is an environment where people feel at home.”