The Oversea-Chinese Banking Corporation (OCBC) has long been renowned for recognising and nurturing a diverse array of talent. Amid rapid globalisation and the digital transformation of the banking and financial services industry, OCBC seeks to identify and award talents with regional affinity and local expertise through its prestigious scholarship programmes like the OCBC Regional Scholarship. This scholarship provides financial assistance to students who are citizens of Singapore, Malaysia, China, Indonesia, or Hong Kong, and who are currently pursuing their studies outside of their country of citizenship at selected universities. Upon graduation, scholars will get the opportunity to work in OCBC in their country of citizenship.

Dhira Vidhea from Indonesia is the latest addition to OCBC’s ranks of promising scholars. Currently a student at Yale-NUS, Dhira already boasts an impressive resume, channelling her passion for building and innovation into product and project management, particularly through her internship roles at OCBC. She is looking forward to making her mark in the banking sector.

We sat down with Dhira to learn more about her enriching experiences with OCBC.

What made you choose to pursuea degree in Economics?

Growing up, my mother would often engage me in conversations about businesses and the economy. As an entrepreneur of a professional services firm, she was always in tune with the changing economic landscape and would often share her insights with me. This sparked my interest in Economics as an academic field early on and motivated me to explore the logic behind the world: the way markets function and the role of the institutions I encounter daily.

Please tell us more about your passion project, Tinlit.

In middle school, my dream was to become a published author, however, I struggled to get my work published. After speaking to other authors in Indonesia, I realised that many authors share the same struggle; they feel disconnected from publishing houses and there is a lack of opportunities to commercialise their work and earn from them.

Determined to solve this problem, I started Tinlit in 2016, an online storytelling platform that connects authors, readers, and publishers in Indonesia. Authors can post their stories on the Tinlit platform to build a support system of readers. Subsequently, authors can submit those posted stories directly to Tin-lit’s 30+ partner publishers on the platform. In these ways, Tinlit helps authors in Indonesia build communities and get published professionally!

That’s interesting! Why did you decide to apply for the OCBC Regional Scholarship?

I applied for this scholarship because I’ve always admired the OCBC brand, having been an OCBC Indonesia retail customer since young. I was immediately drawn to the scholarship when I first learned about it because it offers the privilege of joining OCBC’s Graduate Talent Programme in Indonesia, which provides numerous rotations across various departments. I view the programme as a valuable opportunity to gain knowledge, practical skills, and exposure while contributing meaningfully to an institution I admire.

Furthermore, I applied because I wanted to be financially independent at university as well as to have the freedom to explore my personal and professional interests broadly. I believed that exploration would enable me to better understand myself and build conviction in my future goals.

Ultimately, with the OCBC scholarship, I’m grateful to be entrusted with the opportunity to upskill myself within the diversified financial services space and develop personally, while creating value for the bank.

What have been the benefits of the scholarship so far?

Knowing that I will return to OCBC post-graduation, the scholarship has enabled me to fully engage with my academics and community at university. Specifically, I’ve been able to explore my academic interests, even beyond Economics. For instance, I’ve taken courses on speculative fiction and the philosophy of Bitcoin. On campus, I’ve also served as a Residential College Advisor, and I’ve been able to connect deeply with my college community by hosting events that bring people together. Additionally, the generosity of the scholarship has strengthened my desire to leverage my education, opportunities, and experiences to contribute positively to my communities, be it through Tinlit or my future role at OCBC.

Amazing! Tell us more about your internship at OCBC.

From May to August 2023, I interned at OCBC Securities in the project management division. In my role, I supported the creation of new features within the iOCBC app, OCBC’s retail investing app. A key lesson I learned from my internship is the incredible depth of thought that must go into every new product, no matter how small or large. My team hosted discussions almost daily with various departments to ensure that all new product updates and rollouts aligned with the continuously evolving needs of stakeholders and internal developments within the bank. This thoughtfulness is instrumental, especially in a mature bank like OCBC that has diverse stakeholders and complex structures. Moving forward, I’ll always carry with me this thoughtfulness I strengthened at OCBC Securities to consistently create and deliver intentional and impactful work in my career.

Furthermore, my time at OCBC Securities further cemented my belief in the genuineness and strength of the OCBC community. I was grateful to have two incredible managers and mentors from the project management division, Andy Soetikno and Lim Zihui, who not only guided me in my internship but also supported my greater professional aspirations.

What advice do you have for aspiring scholars who intend to work with OCBC?

Scholars are always welcome to apply for internships within OCBC. That said, I believe the greatest opportunity lies in the OCBC community; I encourage scholars to reach out to get to know others within the bank who may be working in diverse departments. Given OCBC’s position as a prominent bank with diversified products and services, there are many areas scholars can explore, and many people to learn from.