Now in its third year, the exclusive programme has grown steadily since its inception with 27 participants from Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia and Hong Kong, the firm said in a statement. More than half of this year’s cohort come from families where at least one parent is a business owner.

Recognising the role that the next generation will play in stewarding family wealth, the GENesis programme puts an emphasis on entrepreneurship and lays a foundation for family conversations on succession and legacy planning. Since wealth transfer conversations often deepen when children are in university or entering the workforce, the programme is tailored to participants between the ages of 18 and 25.

The three-day programme, held from 22 to 24 July this year, offered participants insights into their personal strengths, networking opportunities with business leaders and foundational knowledge in financial planning. For the first time, OCBC also partnered with the Singapore Management University Executive Development to offer participants certification in a one-day “Entrepreneurship and Innovation Essentials” course, where participants learn entrepreneurial frameworks for innovation. 

The inclusion of Hong Kong bolsters GENesis as a regional platform, brought together the next generation of high net worth families from OCBC's key markets including Singapore, Malaysia and Indonesia. The programme facilitates cross-border networking, ideas exchange and exposure to diverse perspectives on wealth, entrepreneurship and business leadership.

GENesis has grown into a programme that prepares high net worth families’ next generation to manage wealth and legacy transitions. Reflecting on his experience, Nicholas Harijanto, 22, an Indonesian participant who is learning the ropes of his family's logistics business, said he is passionate about transportation and is starting to get involved in his family's business. "I'm learning different aspects of entrepreneurship and the importance of delivering a great customer experience. What I really value about the programme is the cross-cultural exposure and networking with like-minded people. These friendships are valuable – maybe there are even opportunities for business collaborations in future – and we will continue to keep in touch even after the programme," Harijanto said.

University undergraduate, Chloe Wong, 19, also found the programme beneficial. "I've always been curious about entrepreneurship and hearing directly from local founders about their entrepreneurial journeys gave me a real look at how businesses are built and the realities behind the scenes," Wong said. "One of the most eye-opening parts of the programme was the personality profiling session, which helped me better understand my strengths as someone who is people-oriented and relationship-driven. While I've always thought about starting a business one day, the programme showed me that entrepreneurship is much more than just having a good idea. It's also about connecting with people and using your unique strengths to do so."

“Often, our high net worth customers are concerned about wealth creation, preservation, succession and legacy planning," Susan Tan, head of Segment, OCBC, added. "Many GENesis participants, who come from business-owning families, may one day assume leadership roles within the family business or start their own ventures. By exposing them to entrepreneurship and financial literacy concepts earlier, we want to give them the confidence to navigate the worlds of business and finance, imparting relevant skills so that they do not have to start from scratch, or figure everything out alone.”