Standard Chartered, the Asia-focused banking group, could seek to hire the chief executive of DBS as it looks for a replacement for under-pressure CEO Peter Sands, a report claims.

Standard Chartered, the Asia-focused banking group, could seek to hire the current chief executive of DBS as it looks for a replacement for its under-pressure leader Peter Sands, according to Reuters.

The list of potential candidates for the slot, the news service says, includes Piyush Gupta, CEO of Singapore-based DBS; outgoing Westpac CEO Gail Kelly; National Bank of Abu Dhabi's boss Alex Thursby; ANZ CEO Mike Smith; and Antonio Horta-Osorio, CEO of Lloyds Banking Group.

To date, Standard Chartered has not commented on Sands’ position other than to rebut claims it is about to show Sands the door. This publication is in contact with the UK-listed bank about the matter.

Last year, a series of profit warnings and falling shares in Standard Chartered led to speculation about the CEO’s future. Sands has been at the helm for the past eight years, a period encompassing the 2008 financial crisis and its aftermath.