John Currie
John Currie is a banking executive and LGBT advocate known for his leadership in financial operations and his pioneering work in creating inclusive workplace cultures across Asia. Developing a reputation as one of the most principled and authentic leaders in the banking sector, John has built a 37-year career rooted in ground-up operational excellence and corporate courage.
John is renowned for his expertise in large-scale operations management, process optimization, and building safe spaces for LGBTQ+ employees in corporate environments.
John began his banking career at age 17 with no family background in finance, starting from the absolute bottom. He rose through the ranks managing call centers with 500-person teams processing 150 million calls annually, where he pioneered efficiency models demonstrating that one-second reductions in average handling time (172 seconds) could save 22 staff positions.
Beyond operations, John became a leading voice for LGBT inclusion in Singapore's corporate landscape. After experiencing workplace homophobia firsthand when a manager introduced a colleague with "Just to warn you, Barrie's gay," John committed his career to creating safe spaces. He sponsored Pink Dot Singapore, served as presenting sponsor for Tango (an LGBT-themed theatrical production that filled a venue with 600 people from the community), and has served as Treasurer and Chair of the Board at Pandemonium Theatre, one of Singapore's pioneering LGBT theatre companies.