HSBC’s Elhedery mingles with Hong Kong staff, customers to get first-hand experience

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The global CEO visited two premier branches, where the staff walked him through the customer service and showed him the bank’s various digital solutions

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Georges Elhedery (left), HSBC new group CEO, visited the bank’s branches on Des Voeux Road and Hysan Place on Monday. Photo: Handout

Mia CastagnoneandEnoch Yiu

Published: 7:29pm, 2 Sep 2024

Georges Elhedery, the new global CEO of HSBC, visited branches in the city geared towards wealth management, underscoring the focus of the biggest lender in Hong Kong and Europe.

Elhedery visited HSBC’s Premier Banking branch on Des Voeux Road in Central and stopped by the bank’s Wealth Centre at Hysan Place in Causeway Bay, where he interacted with customers, according to the bank’s officials.

Elhedery said in an email memo to staff on Monday that he would spend his first few days on the job meeting staff, customers and financial regulators in Hong Kong, confirming a report by the Post on Friday.

Hong Kong, where HSBC traces its roots to 1865, “is an incredibly important market for us and Georges was keen to spend his first few days here”, the bank said in a statement. “He will meet with a range of customers, colleagues and government officials.”

Elhedery and Hong Kong CEO Luanne Lim will host a Zoom meeting with the entire Hong Kong staff on Tuesday afternoon, allowing the global CEO to review the bank’s business and provide an outlook for the future, according to an HSBC employee, who did not want to be named.

HSBC group CEO Georges Elhedery (seated right) visited branches in Hong Kong to gain a first-hand experience of the bank’s customer service. Photo: Handout

At both the HSBC outlets, Elhedery got first-hand experience of the bank’s operations. These branches are targeted towards premium customers, highlighting the strategic importance of Hong Kong and HSBC’s Asia Wealth proposition.