DBS CEO Tan Su Shan took on the top job just before an economic storm struck. The veteran of the Singapore-based bank, Southeast Asia’s largest, assumed the role in March, just a few days before U.S. President Donald Trump slapped steep tariffs on much of the world economy. That posed a challenge for DBS, which serves clients across China, Southeast Asia, and India.
Her response to an uncertain economy? Diversify. “If you only sell to the U.S., you have to diversify,” Tan said at the Fortune Most Powerful Women Summit on Tuesday.
Last week, Trump threatened to impose 100% tariffs on Chinese goods by Nov. 1 in retaliation for Beijing’s expanded export controls on rare earth minerals. The U.S. president has also slapped 50% tariffs on Brazil and India, two other major non-Western economie