This article was originally published in the Brand Finance Malaysia 100 2025 and Brand Finance ASEAN 500 2025 report
CIMB Group has recorded strong gains in both brand value and financial performance in 2025, supported by its scale as one of ASEAN’s leading banks and its rapidly expanding digital ecosystem. Building on its Malaysian heritage while embedding local relevance across diverse markets, CIMB continues to deliver impact through its new Forward30 strategy, ambitious sustainability targets, and commitment to financial inclusion.
In this spotlight interview, Gurdip Singh Sidhu, Chief Executive Officer of CIMB Malaysia and CIMB Bank Berhad, shares how the Group is shaping its next phase of growth and creating long-term value for customers and communities across the region.
Interview with Gurdip Singh Sidhu
Chief Executive Officer,
CIMB Malaysia and CIMB Bank Berhad
CIMB has achieved strong growth in both brand value and financial performance this year. What’s driving this momentum, and how does it set the stage for your ambitions under the newly launched ‘Forward30’ strategy?
We continue to build on the strong endowments that have shaped CIMB’s core strengths and contributed to the double digit increase in our brand value over the years. Our scale as one of the leading banks in the ASEAN region gives us a solid foundation to deliver meaningful impact among our customers and the communities we serve. Our presence across high-growth ASEAN markets, particularly Indonesia and Singapore, positions us well to capture regional growth and foster deeper economic integration.
We maintain strong wholesale relationships across our segments, partnering with government-linked companies and corporates, and continue to grow our mass affluent franchise in Malaysia and Indonesia. Our digital ecosystem is growing rapidly, especially in Malaysia and the Philippines, enabling us to serve customers more effectively and inclusively.
At the heart of our success are our people, a diverse and multicultural team unified by a common culture through Enabling, Passion, Integrity, Collaboration and Customer-centricity (EPICC), and a shared resilience in navigating change. Above all, we are grateful for the trust and loyalty of our customers, who remain central to our purpose and progress as a leading ASEAN-focused bank.
Our new ‘Forward30’ strategy builds on our strengths to drive sustainable growth, guided by our purpose of helping customers and society move forward.
CIMB has ambitious sustainability goals. What are some of the commitments the group has made and how do you explain their relevance to your customers in the region?
As part of our ongoing commitment to creating long-term value for our stakeholders and our habitat, CIMB established clear 2030 decarbonisation targets for the six highest carbon-emitting sectors which are Thermal Coal Mining, Cement, Palm Oil, Power, Oil & Gas and Real Estate. Collectively, these six sectors represent 60% of CIMB Group’s financed emissions and 47% of our total portfolio exposure, a key step in our journey towards 2050 Net Zero emissions.
CIMB is committed to providing clients with a broad range of sustainable finance solutions as guided by the Group’s Green, Social, Sustainable Impact Products and Services (GSSIPS) framework, an internal taxonomy set by the Group to deliver impactful sustainable finance. The Group tripled its sustainable finance target to MYR100.0 billion in 2024, a substantial increase from its RM30.0 billion target previously announced in 2021. To date, the Group has surpassed its target, achieving MYR117.0 billion.
CIMB is cognisant of our role in driving the sustainability agenda across the ASEAN region, catalysing the adoption of better ESG-aligned governance, aligning our goals with broader sustainability standards and raising the bar to have better impacts in collaboration with our clients, customers and other stakeholders across the community.
How does CIMB Group’s commitment to financial inclusion in the various markets where it operates support your business growth targets?
In 2024, we accelerated our commitment to economic inclusion through initiatives aimed at enhancing financial literacy in underserved communities. Our efforts were recognised with CIMB ranking second globally in inclusive finance by the World Benchmarking Alliance 2025 Financial System Benchmark. We remain dedicated to advancing economic inclusion and financial literacy to create lasting impact.
In key markets such as Malaysia, Singapore, and Indonesia, we have supported SMEs, particularly those led by low-income earners and women entrepreneurs, by providing close to MYR6 million in financing, benefiting over 5,000 businesses through expansion and innovation.
Leveraging digital innovation, we strive to make financial services accessible to all, including refugees and asylum seekers. Through ‘TNG Digital’, our mission is to facilitate safe and convenient transactions, including cross-border transfers and remittances, enabling better fund management for underserved communities.
Looking ahead, we will continue refining our strategies, exploring new ways to enhance our outreach, and deepening our partnerships to expand the economic inclusions initiatives across markets.
With CIMB operating across a diverse ASEAN region and beyond, how do you balance local relevance with your Malaysian heritage and global ambitions?
Our Malaysian roots form the foundation of our identity in our home market, while our regional values and insights guide us as a Group. This is balanced with a deep appreciation of ASEAN’s diversity, where we embed local relevance across everything we do to serve the needs of each market, supported by local talents and expertise. By leveraging our regional strengths and footprint, we deliver seamless cross-border solutions and aim to be the partner of choice for our clients, while creating meaningful impact for customers, businesses, and communities across ASEAN.
