Fortis Private Banking This private bank has been active in Singapore since 1988. Then known as MeesPierson Asia, it conducted mainly private bank and trust operations as well as commodity banking and specialized finance. MeesPierson started out as a merchant bank in Singapore, but entered the trade and commodity finance business in Singapore in 1994 as part of its expansion into Asia. MeesPierson, which was founded in 1720 in Rotterdam, the Netherlands, was acquired by Fortis in 1997. The Singapore office serves as the regional private banking centre for Fortis Private Bank in Asia.