MELISA LEE - FOUNDER

Melisa started her financial career in 1988 and has worked for major global banks such as Credit Suisse First Boston, Union Bank of Switzerland, Bear Stearns and Morgan Stanley in several key financial centres - London, Tokyo, Hong Kong and Singapore.

Initially Melisa joined the Swaps Group of Credit Suisse First Boston (CSFB) in London, where she was involved in structuring products for both European and Japanese clients.  In 1990, she relocated to Tokyo and became a pioneer member of the newly-formed elite Credit Suisse Financial Products (CSFP) team.  Melisa was chosen to be responsible for developing CSFP's new business of structuring solutions for all CSFB clients in Non-Japan Asia and eventually relocated to Hong Kong to establish a new CSFP office.

Union Bank of Switzerland was keen to develop this significant area of business so headhunted Melisa in 1992 to spearhead their new Derivatives and Structured Products business for all Non-Japan Asia, based out of their regional headquarters in Singapore.  She soon grew it into a successful business with a dedicated team of 7.

Throughout her career, which included similar roles at Banque Indosuez (now Credit Agricole Corporate and Investment Bank) and Bear Stearns (now JP Morgan), Melisa has always had regional responsibility for structuring new ideas, products and strategic solutions for all clients, encompassing major Corporations, Institutional Investors, Sovereigns and their various Government-Linked Entities, as well as Private Clients.  

Melisa has built up a wealth of experience working with a broad range of underlying instruments - including broad categories such as Fixed Income (Interest Rates, Foreign Exchange, Credit), Equities and Commodities - as well as special situations involving Structured Financing, Tax and Defeasance, Asset-Backed Structures, Collateralised Debt Obligations, Hedge Funds etc.

In 2010, Melisa developed her concept of the Wealth Iceberg, choosing to focus solely on Private Wealth Management (PWM), working especially with Ultra High Net Worth (UHNW) clients.  Morgan Stanley were impressed and hired Melisa to start a new business as their Head of Structured Solutions for PWM Asia.  This was a regional role to customise strategic solutions for Morgan Stanley's UHNW clients for the hidden iceberg of their Business Wealth.

Now Melisa has founded her own financial consultancy, Ploutos Strategic, to consult directly with UHNW clients.   As an independent consultant, she can utilise her extensive experience to focus on identifying, customising and executing the most appropriate strategic solutions without limitation.

Melisa has a bachelor's and master's degree in Mathematics and Management Studies Tripos from Cambridge University.