Next Bank (將來銀行) general manager Liu I-cheng (劉奕成) unexpectedly resigned yesterday, casting a shadow over the Web-only bank, which has yet to obtain an operating license from the nation’s regulator.
Liu could not be reached as of press time last night, but Next Bank said in a statement that Liu had offered his resignation to the board of directors due to personal reasons.
“Liu served as chief executive officer of the preparations office of Next Bank in November 2018 and he has been the bank’s general manager since January last year. We respect Liu’s decision and appreciate his contributions,” the statement said.
Photo: Lee Chin-hui, Taipei Times
The bank did not comment on whether Liu would continue as a board member.
Media reports said that Liu would continue sitting on the board as a representative of Pxmart Co Ltd (全聯實業), which holds a 9.9 percent stake in Next Bank.
Prior to joining Next Bank, Liu served as head of the preparations office of Line Bank. He previously worked with major financial companies, such as Cathay Financial Holding Co (國泰金控), EasyCard Corp (悠遊卡) and CTBC Bank (中信銀行).
The bank’s two other peers, Rakuten International Commercial Bank Co (樂天國際商銀) and Line Bank (連線商業銀行), have obtained operating licenses from the Financial Supervisory Commission.
The commission yesterday said that it expected Next Bank to appoint a new general manager soon and that it would review the qualifications of the new general manager.
The commission is reviewing an improvement plan that Next Bank submitted to address issues pointed out during an on-site examination, Banking Bureau Deputy Director-General Lin Chih-chi (林志吉) told a news conference in New Taipei City.
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