eye for a buy
With more than 35 years of banking experience under his belt, Manila-born, Singapore-based Renato de Guzman has been instrumental in growing the private banking business in Asia. Or, as he puts it, “I’ve done it all." That includes leading the Bank of Singapore to several industry accolades, including Most Outstanding Private Bank in Asia Pacific by Private Banker International in 2011. De Guzman has since retired, but continues to offer valuable insights in the industry.
One of my favourite ways to relax is by practising yoga. I picked it up more than five years ago, because of the financial crisis in 2008. It helps me unwind, and also helps with flexibility and mental centering. I practice the gentler types of yoga – like hatha – that are suitable for my age. Usually, I go to classes at True Yoga, and when I’m out of town I get private lessons. The morning courses at The Legian Bali hotel are fantastic.
My family and I spend each Christmas on an island owned by my friend. It’s called Hermana Mayor (or Big Sister in Spanish) and it’s in the Philippines. Why not buy my own? That comes with a lot of headaches. I prefer to go and enjoy myself and let someone else worry about the other stuff.
I’m a member of the World Presidents’ Organization (WPO), a global organisation of business leaders. On a WPO trip last year, we visited the city of Petra in Jordan, and spent two nights in Wadi Rum, the desert where movies like Lawrence of Arabia and Indiana Jones And The Last Crusade were filmed. It was beautiful there. We rode camels and relived the past by watching those two movies.
Paris is the city I like the most. I first visited it almost 35 years ago, and since then I’ve gone back almost every year. I have an apartment in the 7th arrondissement (administrative district) on the Left Bank. The area has a lot of antique shops and art galleries, and browsing contemporary art and French furniture is what my wife and I like to do when we are there. The French are hard to get to know, but I assimilate very well in different cultures. You learn to live with their eccentricities.
I have lived in Singapore for more than 13 years. The unusual thing I’ve noticed about Singaporeans is the way they queue up for bargains, although this doesn’t happen so much nowadays. You spend a lot of time, and often for a very slight discount. From a practical point of view, the savings that you generate may not be worth it.
In Singapore, my favourite place to eat with my family is Jade Palace Seafood Restaurant at Forum The Shopping Mall. I see a lot of locals there, it’s quite an insider place, with reasonable prices.
My favourite golf course is in Bali, at Nirwana Golf Club. It is designed by legendary golfer Greg Norman, and the views are spectacular. The course is by the sea, and you can see the famous Tanah Lot Temple as you play.
The contemporary art scene here is getting quite interesting. My personal collection includes works by artists such as Yayoi Kusama, Affand and Fernando Zobel. But I’m not a major collector. I started buying after I moved to Singapore, around the time of the Asian financial crisis. The prices of quality contemporary art pieces by established artists were still relatively cheaper than what they command now.
I’ve had the same barber for the longest time. I buy my shirts from Armani, because they fit best. I tend to wear my glasses for a long time; the frames I’m wearing now are by Philippe Starck, bought from a shop called Eyes@Work (at Millenia Walk). It’s run by a lady called Moh Lee; she really enjoys what she does.
