Meet the humans behind ‘Wendy and Wayne’, OCBC’s wealth avatars

Terissa Chang and Ethan Peh, who are the digital faces of the OCBC WoW app, have become minor celebrities overnight after the beta version was rolled out to a select group of users for testing in July.

Published Sep 03, 2026, 06:00 AM

Updated Sep 03, 2026, 09:46 AM

OCBC has launched AI avatars Wendy and Wayne, based on employees Terissa Chang and Ethan Peh, to support wealth management via its AI-native mobile banking app.

Chang and Peh underwent intensive filming to create lifelike avatars, which help engage clients and provide portfolio insights 24/7.

The avatars do not give financial advice, and if the employees leave, their digital likenesses will be replaced to maintain AI guardrails.

SINGAPORE – When Terissa Chang and Ethan Peh waltz into OCBC’s premier private client lounge on level 34 of OCBC Centre, it is hard not to take notice.

Impeccably dressed and camera-ready, the OCBC employees project the confidence and polish one might expect of professionals accustomed to serving some of Singapore’s wealthiest clients.

Chang is a premier service manager who interfaces daily with affluent customers at the bank’s premier private client lounge, while Peh is a relationship development manager responsible for the acquisition of new customers for the premier banking and premier private client segments.

Though they now navigate the world of high-net-worth banking, Chang and Peh – both aged 40 – go back much further.

They previously spent 13 years as senior cabin crew at Singapore Airlines, serving passengers in the air, before their careers led them to the same bank.

Now, Chang and Peh have taken on another role – one that does not require them to step into an aircraft or sit across from a client.

They are Wendy and Wayne – the digital faces of OCBC’s latest push into artificial intelligence.

Terissa Chang, a premier service manager, and Ethan Peh, a relationship development manager, were picked from a shortlist of 20 to 30 employees. PHOTO: OCBC

Terissa Chang, a premier service manager, and Ethan Peh, a relationship development manager, were picked from a shortlist of 20 to 30 employees.

The AI avatars, designed to interact with customers and support the bank’s wealth-management services, sit within what OCBC says is South-east Asia’s first AI-native mobile banking app – providing sophisticated portfolio analysis to better understand underlying exposures and sources of risk.

T he initiative is part of the bank’s “next frontier” strategy to harness AI, digital technology and data announced in February to drive growth, with a commitment to spend more than $1 billion annually on technology for the next few years.

Chang and Peh said they found themselves becoming minor celebrities overnight after the bank rolled out the beta version of the OCBC WoW app to a select group of users for testing in July.

“I’ve been addressed as Wendy – it has actually become part of my identity,” Chang said.

For Peh, being the face of the AI avatar serves as an “icebreaker”, making it easier to connect with clients when he meets them in person.

“They find me familiar through the app. They can put a name to the face,” he said, adding that some customers have addressed him as “Wayne”.

OCBC head of wealth advisory Chez Anbu said the bank was looking for candidates who were not just eloquent, but also had warm, pleasant dispositions that could put customers at ease.

Chang and Peh fit the bill nicely, standing out from a shortlist of 20 to 30 employees – all of whom had been carefully handpicked and recommended by their supervisors.

Anbu said: “We believe that their genuine warmth and service-oriented natures were key ingredients in the successful materialisation of Wendy and Wayne.”

The production process of the AI avatars was fairly intensive. Chang said she went through two filming sessions, the first of which involved a green screen and a teleprompter. She had to read a five-minute passage, much like a news casting exercise.

It was initially nerve-racking, as getting her delivery and expressions right meant even simple phrases could require multiple takes.

According to OCBC head of wealth advisory Chez Anbu, clients have requested the ability to execute complex transactions, such as trades and orders, directly through the OCBC WoW app. PHOTO: OCBC

According to OCBC head of wealth advisory Chez Anbu, clients have requested the ability to execute complex transactions, such as trades and orders, directly through the OCBC WoW app.

While the AI could correct verbal mistakes like mispronunciations, facial expressions were harder to fix. Chang noted that she had to maintain a consistent, natural look throughout the shoot, as any change in expression caused by stumbling over a line could not be easily corrected by the software.

For Peh, the experience was less intimidating than expected.

The team directed well and was helpful, making him feel at ease. He noted that bringing a human touch to the avatars – through the right tone and natural expressions – was the key to making them lifelike.

Anbu said early feedback from users has been encouraging.

“Customers who are part of the invite-only testing group frequently interact with the channel to get information on their portfolios and insights on the markets and investment ideas. Some clients expressed a desire for the eventual ability to execute more complex tasks – such as trades and orders – directly via the app,” he said.

Growing client recognition has made Chang and Peh more self-conscious of their professional image.

With “Wayne” always looking picture-perfect, Peh said he now puts more effort into his own appearance, wearing a tie even on days when he feels tired. He also strives to respond promptly to clients in a bid to “be as close as he can get to Wayne”.

Chang, similarly, finds herself smiling more and being highly mindful of her demeanour during client interactions.

“Now that I’m known as Wendy, I need to step up to be on a par with her ,” she said. “Wendy is updating everybody on the insights while I am sleeping. She’s working 24/7 even as I need a break. It really makes me strive to be even more professional in my role.”

Chang and Peh said being recognised more frequently by clients has made them more conscious of how they present themselves professionally. PHOTO: OCBC

Chang and Peh said being recognised more frequently by clients has made them more conscious of how they present themselves professionally.

Still, the bank said there is a distinction between real and reel.

While Chang and Peh provide the faces for Wendy and Wayne, customers should note that they are neither client advisers nor relationship managers.

“They are thus not in the position, and not licensed, to give financial advice to clients. Instead, our customers are encouraged to speak to their client advisers and specialists should they require investment advice,” said Anbu.

If Chang or Peh were to leave the bank, their avatars would be removed from the system, and new ones created using the digital likeness of other OCBC staff, as part of the bank’s AI guardrails.

Employees may also withdraw their cons ent at any time, said Anbu.

When asked which part of their jobs they would happily hand over to their avatars, Peh chose responding to clients any time, anywhere.

Chang, meanwhile, would gladly outsource the time-consuming process of getting ready for work.

“My grooming, so I can sleep an hour more. Wendy wakes up with professional make-up and hair. If I can save that hour, I’ll be very happy,” she said.

Sheila Chiang is a business correspondent at The Straits Times.

Artificial Intelligence

AI/artificial intelligence

Private banking/Wealth management

Terissa Chang 和 Ethan Peh 是 OCBC WoW 应用的数字代言人，在 7 月份该应用的测试版面向部分用户推出后，他们一夜之间成为了小有名气的名人。

发布于 2026 年 9 月 3 日上午 6:00

更新于2026年9月3日上午9:46

华侨银行推出了以员工 Terissa Chang 和 Ethan Peh 为原型的 AI 虚拟形象 Wendy 和 Wayne，旨在通过其 AI 原生移动银行应用程序为财富管理提供支持。

张和白进行了密集的拍摄，以创建栩栩如生的虚拟形象，这有助于与客户互动，并全天候提供投资组合见解。

这些虚拟形象不会提供财务建议，如果员工离职，他们的数字形象将被替换，以维护人工智能安全保障。

新加坡——当 Terissa Chang 和 Ethan Peh 走进位于 OCBC 中心 34 楼的 OCBC 高级私人客户休息室时，很难不引起人们的注意。

华侨银行的员工衣着考究，随时准备上镜，展现出专业人士应有的自信和风度，他们习惯于服务新加坡一些最富有的客户。

张先生是高级服务经理，每天在银行的高级私人客户休息室与富裕客户互动；而白先生是关系发展经理，负责为高级银行和高级私人客户部门获取新客户。

尽管张和白（两人都 40 岁）现在在高净值银行业务领域摸爬滚打，但他们的从业经历远不止于此。

在加入同一家银行之前，他们曾在新加坡航空公司担任高级乘务员 13 年，为空中乘客提供服务。

现在，张和白承担了另一个角色——一个不需要他们登上飞机或坐在客户对面的角色。

他们是 Wendy 和 Wayne——华侨银行最新人工智能战略的数字化形象。

高级服务经理 Terissa Chang 和关系拓展经理 Ethan Peh 从 20 至 30 名候选人中脱颖而出。（图片：华侨银行）

从 20 至 30 名员工的候选名单中，Terissa Chang（高级服务经理）和 Ethan Peh（关系发展经理）脱颖而出。

这些人工智能虚拟形象旨在与客户互动并支持银行的财富管理服务，它们位于华侨银行所称的东南亚首款原生人工智能移动银行应用程序中，提供复杂的投资组合分析，以更好地了解潜在的风险敞口和风险来源。

这项举措是该银行“下一个前沿”战略的一部分，该战略于 2 月份宣布，旨在利用人工智能、数字技术和数据来推动增长，并承诺在未来几年内每年在技术方面投入超过 10 亿美元。

张和白表示，自从华侨银行在7月份向部分用户推出WoW应用程序的测试版后，他们一夜之间成了小名人。

“大家都叫我温迪——这实际上已经成为我身份的一部分了，”张说。

对于 Peh 来说，作为 AI 化身的代表人物可以起到“破冰”的作用，使他在与客户见面时更容易与他们建立联系。

“他们通过应用程序觉得我很眼熟。他们可以把我的名字和脸对上号，”他说，并补充说，有些顾客称呼他为“韦恩”。

华侨银行财富咨询主管Chez Anbu表示，该银行正在寻找不仅能言善辩，而且性格热情友善，能够让客户感到安心的候选人。

张和白完全符合要求，从 20 到 30 名候选人中脱颖而出——所有这些候选人都是他们的主管精心挑选和推荐的。

安布表示：“我们相信，他们真诚的热情和以服务为导向的性格是温迪和韦恩成功实现的关键因素。”

人工智能虚拟形象的制作过程相当繁琐。张女士说她经历了两次拍摄，第一次是在绿幕前，使用提词器。她需要朗读一段五分钟的稿子，很像新闻播音员的练习。

起初这令人紧张，因为要让她说出正确的话，表达准确，即使是简单的短语也可能需要多次拍摄。

据华侨银行财富管理主管Chez Anbu透露，客户要求能够直接通过华侨银行WoW应用程序执行复杂的交易，例如交易和订单。图片：华侨银行

据华侨银行财富咨询主管Chez Anbu称，客户要求能够通过华侨银行WoW应用程序直接执行复杂的交易，例如交易和订单。

虽然人工智能可以纠正诸如发音错误之类的语言失误，但面部表情却很难修正。张女士指出，她必须在整个拍摄过程中保持一致、自然的表情，因为任何因念​​错台词而导致的表情变化都难以通过软件进行修正。

对佩来说，这次经历并没有想象中那么可怕。

团队指导到位，乐于助人，让他感到很放松。他指出，赋予虚拟化身人性化的特征——通过恰当的语气和自然的表情——是使其栩栩如生的关键。

安布表示，用户早期的反馈令人鼓舞。

“受邀参与测试的客户经常通过该渠道获取投资组合信息、市场动态和投资理念。一些客户表示，他们希望最终能够直接通过应用程序执行更复杂的任务，例如交易和下单，”他说道。

客户认可度的提高让张和白更加注重自己的职业形象。

由于“韦恩”总是以完美形象示人，佩赫表示，他现在也更加注重自己的仪容，即使在感到疲惫的日子里也会系上领带。他还努力及时回复客户，力求“尽可能地接近韦恩”。

同样，张女士发现自己在与客户互动时笑容更多，也更加注意自己的举止。

“既然大家都叫我温迪，我就得加把劲儿，才能跟她并驾齐驱，”她说。“我睡觉的时候，温迪还在给大家汇报最新情况。她一天24小时都在工作，而我却需要休息。这真的激励我更加努力，在工作中做到更加专业。”

张和白表示，客户认出他们的次数增多，让他们更加注重自己的职业形象。图片：华侨银行

张和白表示，客户越来越频繁地认出他们，让他们更加注重自己的职业形象。

不过，该银行表示，真实存在与虚构存在之间是有区别的。

虽然 Chang 和 Peh 代表 Wendy 和 Wayne，但客户应该注意，他们既不是客户顾问，也不是客户关系经理。

“因此，他们既没有资格也没有资格向客户提供财务建议。相反，我们鼓励客户在需要投资建议时咨询他们的客户顾问和专家，”安布说道。

如果张或白离开银行，他们的虚拟形象将从系统中删除，并使用其他华侨银行员工的数字形象创建新的虚拟形象，这是银行人工智能防护措施的一部分。

安布表示，员工也可以随时撤回他们的同意。

当被问及他们最愿意将工作的哪一部分交给自己的虚拟形象时，Peh 选择随时随地回复客户。

与此同时，张先生很乐意将耗时的上班准备工作外包出去。

“我得好好打扮一下，这样就能多睡一个小时。温迪醒来时总是化着专业妆容，头发也梳得漂漂亮亮的。如果我能省下那一个小时，我会非常高兴的。”她说道。

Sheila Chiang是《海峡时报》的商业记者。

人工智能

人工智能

私人银行/财富管理