HONG KONG has been home to some firsts in wholesale banking over the past 20 years, and Robert Roberts, retiring head of HSBC Capital, has been in the thick of much of it.
Mr Roberts, 48, HSBC Capital's managing director, has been in the Hong Kong market as it has evolved from a dynamic but small entrepot into the financial juggernaut it is today.
In consequence, he has taken part in many innovative deals that were precursors to many now taken for granted in the loans market.
When he first arrived in Hong Kong about 20 years ago, there were virtually no high-rise buildings behind Hutchison House, then something of a landmark.
He is turning his back on the changed Hong Kong skyline to take early retirement, and plans to spend the rest of his time shuttling between a cottage in Phuket and a three-bedroomed ski chalet in Graechen in Switzerland.
Among the deals he sees as particularly original is the first syndicated Euro note facility in the world, a US$500 million deal arranged for the New Zealand Government, Mr Roberts says.