HSBC’s Greater China head Helen Wong quits as bank loses second heavyweight in a week
- Wong’s departure comes close on the heels of group CEO John Flint’s surprise decision to leave the bank after just 18 months
- Wong was responsible for 47,000 staff in the region, which accounted for the largest headcount at the bank
HSBC, the largest lender in Hong Kong, has lost its second senior management within a week.
The bank’s Greater China chief executive Helen Wong Pik-kuen has resigned and will start on leave from Saturday, according to an internal memo seen by the South China Morning Post.
Wong, who joined HSBC in 1992, “has decided to leave HSBC to pursue an external opportunity”, according to the memo sent by her boss, Peter Wong Tung-shun, deputy chairman and chief executive of Asia-Pacific, to all 47,000 staff in the Greater China region which she oversaw.
While Flint will be replaced on an interim basis by global commercial banking head Noel Quinn, there will be no replacement for Wong’s position, and her responsibilities will be shared by the four heads of Hong Kong, Macau, Taiwan and mainland China, an HSBC spokeswoman said.
“Our four CEOs across Greater China are in a strong position to continue collaborating to deliver our Greater China growth strategy. Therefore, there will be no replacement,” the spokeswoman added.
They are Diana Cesar in Hong Kong, PH Lau in Macau, David Liao in mainland China and Adam Chen in Taiwan.