Hongkong Shanghai Banking Corporation
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The Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation Limited (), commonly known as HSBC (), was the parent entity of the multinational
HSBC HSBC Holdings plc is a British multinational universal bank and financial services holding company. It is the largest bank in Europe by total assets ahead of BNP Paribas, with US$2.953 trillion as of December 2021. In 2021, HSBC had $10.8 tri ...
banking group until 1991, and is now its
Hong Kong Hong Kong ( (US) or (UK); , ), officially the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China ( abbr. Hong Kong SAR or HKSAR), is a city and special administrative region of China on the eastern Pearl River Delt ...
-based
Asia-Pacific Asia-Pacific (APAC) is the part of the world near the western Pacific Ocean. The Asia-Pacific region varies in area depending on context, but it generally includes East Asia, Russian Far East, South Asia, Southeast Asia, Australia and Pacific Isla ...
subsidiary. The largest bank in Hong Kong, HSBC operates branches and offices throughout the
Indo-Pacific The Indo-Pacific is a vast biogeographic region of Earth. In a narrow sense, sometimes known as the Indo-West Pacific or Indo-Pacific Asia, it comprises the tropical waters of the Indian Ocean, the western and central Pacific Ocean, and the ...
region and in other countries around the world. It is also one of the three commercial banks licensed by the
Hong Kong Monetary Authority The Hong Kong Monetary Authority (HKMA) is Hong Kong's central bank, central banking institution. It is a government authority founded on 1 April 1993 when the Office of the Exchange Fund and the Office of the Commissioner of Banking merged. Th ...
to issue banknotes for the
Hong Kong dollar The Hong Kong dollar (, currency symbol, sign: HK$; ISO 4217, code: HKD) is the official currency of the Hong Kong, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region. It is subdivided into 100 cent (currency), cents or 1000 Mill (currency), mils. The H ...
. The Hongkong and Shanghai Bank was established in
British Hong Kong Hong Kong was a colony and later a dependent territory of the British Empire from 1841 to 1997, apart from a period of occupation under the Japanese Empire from 1941 to 1945 during the Pacific War. The colonial period began with the Briti ...
in 1865 and was incorporated as The Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation in 1866, and has been based in
Hong Kong Hong Kong ( (US) or (UK); , ), officially the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China ( abbr. Hong Kong SAR or HKSAR), is a city and special administrative region of China on the eastern Pearl River Delt ...
(although now as a subsidiary) ever since. It was "The Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation Limited" in 1989. It is the founding member of the
HSBC HSBC Holdings plc is a British multinational universal bank and financial services holding company. It is the largest bank in Europe by total assets ahead of BNP Paribas, with US$2.953 trillion as of December 2021. In 2021, HSBC had $10.8 tri ...
group of banks and companies, and, since 1990, is the namesake and one of the leading
subsidiaries A subsidiary, subsidiary company or daughter company is a company owned or controlled by another company, which is called the parent company or holding company. Two or more subsidiaries that either belong to the same parent company or having a sa ...
of the London-based HSBC Holdings PLC. The company's business ranges from the traditional High Street roles of
retail banking Retail banking, also known as consumer banking or personal banking, is the provision of services by a bank to the general public, rather than to companies, corporations or other banks, which are often described as wholesale banking. Banking servi ...
,
commercial banking A commercial bank is a financial institution which accepts deposits from the public and gives loans for the purposes of consumption and investment to make profit. It can also refer to a bank, or a division of a large bank, which deals with cor ...
, corporate banking to
investment banking Investment banking pertains to certain activities of a financial services company or a corporate division that consist in advisory-based financial transactions on behalf of individuals, corporations, and governments. Traditionally associated wit ...
, private banking and global banking.


History


Foundation

After the British established Hong Kong as a
crown colony A Crown colony or royal colony was a colony administered by The Crown within the British Empire. There was usually a Governor, appointed by the British monarch on the advice of the UK Government, with or without the assistance of a local Counci ...
in the aftermath of the
First Opium War The First Opium War (), also known as the Opium War or the Anglo-Sino War was a series of military engagements fought between Britain and the Qing dynasty of China between 1839 and 1842. The immediate issue was the Chinese enforcement of the ...
, merchants from other parts of the British Empire, now in Hong Kong, felt the need for a bank to finance the growing trade, through Hong Kong and sometimes also through Shanghai, between China and
India India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...
, the rest of the
British Empire The British Empire was composed of the dominions, colonies, protectorates, mandates, and other territories ruled or administered by the United Kingdom and its predecessor states. It began with the overseas possessions and trading posts esta ...
and Europe, of goods, produces and merchandises of all kinds, but especially
opium Opium (or poppy tears, scientific name: ''Lachryma papaveris'') is dried latex obtained from the seed capsules of the opium poppy ''Papaver somniferum''. Approximately 12 percent of opium is made up of the analgesic alkaloid morphine, which i ...
, cultivated in or transited (re-exported) through ''the Raj'', and to that end, they organised amongst themselves and formed The Hongkong and Shanghai Bank in Hong Kong (March 1865), and in Shanghai one month later. The founder, Thomas Sutherland of the Peninsular and Oriental Steam Navigation Company, wanted a bank operating on "sound Scottish banking principles." Still, the original location of the bank was considered crucial and the founders chose
Wardley House Wardley may refer to: Organisations *Wardley (company), a fish food manufacturer *Wardley, a former merchant banking division of The Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation People *John Wardley (born 1950), English concept designer and develope ...
in Hong Kong since the construction was based on some of the best feng shui in
colonial Hong Kong Hong Kong was a colony and later a dependent territory of the British Empire from 1841 to 1997, apart from a period of occupation under the Japanese Empire from 1941 to 1945 during the Pacific War. The colonial period began with the British ...
.. The bank initially leased its premises for
HK$ The Hong Kong dollar (, sign: HK$; code: HKD) is the official currency of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region. It is subdivided into 100 cents or 1000 mils. The Hong Kong Monetary Authority is the monetary authority of Hong Kong and ...
500 a month in 1864. After raising a capital stock of HK$5 million, the bank commenced operations on 3 March 1865. It opened a branch in
Shanghai Shanghai (; , , Standard Mandarin pronunciation: ) is one of the four direct-administered municipalities of the People's Republic of China (PRC). The city is located on the southern estuary of the Yangtze River, with the Huangpu River flow ...
during April of that year, and started issuing locally denominated banknotes in both the Crown Colony and Shanghai soon afterwards. The bank was incorporated in Hong Kong as The Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation by ''the Hongkong and Shanghai Bank Ordinance'' (Numbers 2 and 5 of 1866), and a branch in
Japan Japan ( ja, 日本, or , and formally , ''Nihonkoku'') is an island country in East Asia. It is situated in the northwest Pacific Ocean, and is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan, while extending from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north ...
was also established in
Yokohama is the second-largest city in Japan by population and the most populous municipality of Japan. It is the capital city and the most populous city in Kanagawa Prefecture, with a 2020 population of 3.8 million. It lies on Tokyo Bay, south of To ...
in 1866. Shares of the bank were one of 13 securities initially traded on the
Shanghai Stock Exchange The Shanghai Stock Exchange (SSE) is a stock exchange based in the city of Shanghai, China. It is one of the three stock exchanges operating independently in mainland China, the others being the Beijing Stock Exchange and the Shenzhen Stock Exc ...
, and were traded on that exchange until the Japanese closed the exchange in 1941. The bank handled the first public loan in China in 1874, thereafter issuing most public loans.


Business development

Sir Thomas Jackson became chief manager in 1876. During his twenty-six-year tenure, the Bank became a leader in Asia. Notable events included being the first bank established in
Thailand Thailand ( ), historically known as Siam () and officially the Kingdom of Thailand, is a country in Southeast Asia, located at the centre of the Indochinese Peninsula, spanning , with a population of almost 70 million. The country is bo ...
, in 1888, where it printed the country's first banknotes; acting as banker for the Hong Kong government from the 1880s; and participating in the management of British colonial government accounts in China, Japan,
Penang Penang ( ms, Pulau Pinang, is a Malaysian state located on the northwest coast of Peninsular Malaysia, by the Malacca Strait. It has two parts: Penang Island, where the capital city, George Town, is located, and Seberang Perai on the Malay ...
and
Singapore Singapore (), officially the Republic of Singapore, is a sovereign island country and city-state in maritime Southeast Asia. It lies about one degree of latitude () north of the equator, off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, borde ...
. A period of expansion followed, with new buildings constructed in
Bangkok Bangkok, officially known in Thai language, Thai as Krung Thep Maha Nakhon and colloquially as Krung Thep, is the capital and most populous city of Thailand. The city occupies in the Chao Phraya River delta in central Thailand and has an estima ...
(1921),
Manila Manila ( , ; fil, Maynila, ), officially the City of Manila ( fil, Lungsod ng Maynila, ), is the capital of the Philippines, and its second-most populous city. It is highly urbanized and, as of 2019, was the world's most densely populate ...
(1922) and
Shanghai Shanghai (; , , Standard Mandarin pronunciation: ) is one of the four direct-administered municipalities of the People's Republic of China (PRC). The city is located on the southern estuary of the Yangtze River, with the Huangpu River flow ...
(1923), and a new head office building in Hong Kong in 1935.


Second World War and Chinese Civil War

In anticipation of the Japanese invasion of Hong Kong in 1941, the Bank's head office moved to London. The chief manager Sir
Vandeleur Grayburn Sir Vandeleur Molyneux Grayburn (28 July 1881 – 21 August 1943) was the chief manager of the Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation from 1930 to 1943. He was the most powerful financier in the Far East in the 1930s, and took an important ro ...
, and his successor
David C. Edmondston David (; , "beloved one") (traditional spelling), , ''Dāwūd''; grc-koi, Δαυΐδ, Dauíd; la, Davidus, David; gez , ዳዊት, ''Dawit''; xcl, Դաւիթ, ''Dawitʿ''; cu, Давíдъ, ''Davidŭ''; possibly meaning "beloved one". w ...
both died while interned by the Japanese during the Japanese occupation of Hong Kong. Arthur Morse was appointed Chief Manager in 1943 and led the bank after the war. The head office moved back to Hong Kong in 1946. During the Japanese occupation the Bank's head office building was occupied as the headquarters of the Hong Kong Japanese military government. Although its assets were restored to HSBC at the end of the war, the
Chinese Civil War The Chinese Civil War was fought between the Kuomintang-led government of the Republic of China and forces of the Chinese Communist Party, continuing intermittently since 1 August 1927 until 7 December 1949 with a Communist victory on m ...
affected HSBC's recovery. The
Communist Party of China The Chinese Communist Party (CCP), officially the Communist Party of China (CPC), is the founding and sole ruling party of the People's Republic of China (PRC). Under the leadership of Mao Zedong, the CCP emerged victorious in the Chinese Civil ...
took over Shanghai in early 1949, towards the end of the civil war. By 1955, while HSBC was permitted to continue to operate the Shanghai branch, all its operations elsewhere in
mainland China "Mainland China" is a geopolitical term defined as the territory governed by the People's Republic of China (including islands like Hainan or Chongming), excluding dependent territories of the PRC, and other territories within Greater China. ...
were closed. The operations of the Shanghai branch were limited to inward remittances and export bills, and so the bank moved out of its grand headquarters building on the Bund and moved into offices in the Lyceum Building on Yuenmingyuen Road (now
Yuanmingyuan Road The Old Summer Palace, also known as Yuanmingyuan () or Yuanmingyuan Park, originally called the Imperial Gardens (), and sometimes called the Winter Palace, was a complex of palaces and gardens in present-day Haidian District, Beijing, China. I ...
).


International expansion

Michael Turner became Chief Manager in 1953 and set about diversifying the business. His tenure came to an end in 1962 having established The Hong Kong and Shanghai Banking Corporation of California 1955 and having acquired The British Bank of the Middle East and the Mercantile Bank (based in India) in Aug 1959. Turner was succeeded in 1962 by
Jake Saunders Sir John Anthony Holt Saunders, CBE, DSO, MC (widely known as "Jake") (29 July 1917 – 4 July 2002) was chairman of The Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation (now HSBC Holdings plc), at a time of rapid and turbulent development of the Hong ...
. In 1964 the Chief Managership was superseded as the top executive role in the bank by an Executive Chairmanship. Saunders took this role until retirement in 1972 and was succeeded as Chief Manager in 1964 by
H.J. Shen Hsi-Jui Shen (, May 8, 1905 in Shanghai, China – February 24, 1996 in San Jose, California, United States) was the former head of the central bank of China, and chief manager for the banking conglomerate HSBC (appointed in 1964). Shen was also ...
, the managing director of Maysun Trading Co. and the former head of the Central Trust of China, who became the first ethnic Chinese to be appointed to the position of Chief Manager of the bank. Under Saunders' tenure the bank continued to expand. 1965 saw the bank purchase a controlling interest in Hang Seng Bank of Hong Kong, and 1972 the formation of a merchant banking arm,
Wardley Limited Wardley may refer to: Organisations *Wardley (company), a fish food manufacturer *Wardley, a former merchant banking division of The Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation People *John Wardley (born 1950), English concept designer and develope ...
. In 1980, the Bank launched a hostile takeover bid for the
Royal Bank of Scotland The Royal Bank of Scotland plc (RBS; gd, Banca Rìoghail na h-Alba) is a major retail and commercial bank in Scotland. It is one of the retail banking subsidiaries of NatWest Group, together with NatWest (in England and Wales) and Ulster Bank ...
, although the bid was blocked by the British government.


Creation of the HSBC Group

In 1980, the Bank, now under the chairmanship of
Michael Sandberg Michael Graham Ruddock Sandberg, Baron Sandberg, CBE (, 31 May 1927 – 2 July 2017) was executive chairman of The Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation from 1977 to 1986. Biography Sandberg was born in Surrey and educated at St Edward's Sc ...
, acquired a 51% stake in Marine Midland Bank, of the
United States of America The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territo ...
, and continued its expansion with the establishment of
Hongkong Bank of Canada HSBC Bank Canada (french: Banque HSBC Canada), formerly the Hongkong Bank of Canada (HBC), is a Canadian chartered bank and the Banking in Canada, Canadian subsidiary of British multinational banking and financial services company HSBC. HSBC Can ...
(now HSBC Bank Canada) in 1981 and HongkongBank of Australia Limited (now HSBC Bank Australia Limited) in 1986. 1987, under the Chairmanship of William Purves, saw the bank's ownership of Marine Midland Bank increased to 100% and the acquisition of a 14.9% share in Midland Bank in the
United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotland, Wales and North ...
. The present building in Hong Kong was designed by Sir Norman Foster and was held as one of the most expensive and technologically advanced buildings in the world in 1986, costing HK$5.3 billion. On 6 October 1989, it was renamed by the Legislative Council, by an amendment to its governing ordinance originally made in 1929, The Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation Limited, and became registered as a regulated bank with the then Banking Commissioner of the Government of Hong Kong. In 1991, HSBC reorganised as a holding company,
HSBC Holdings plc HSBC Holdings plc is a British multinational universal bank and financial services holding company. It is the largest bank in Europe by total assets ahead of BNP Paribas, with US$2.953 trillion as of December 2021. In 2021, HSBC had $10.8 tril ...
; shares are traded on the London, Hong Kong, Paris, New York and Bermuda stock exchanges. HSBC Holdings acquired the rest of Midland Bank in June 1992.


Hong Kong banking

Under the HSBC brand, the bank maintains a network of around 220 branches throughout Hong Kong, from which it offers a wide range of financial products and services. For some time in the late 1980s and early 1990s, the bank was known by the name ''HongkongBank'' in its native city, although it now trades as HSBC. During that period, it also adopted the idiosyncratic practice of calling its ATMs ''Electronic Teller Card (ETC)'' machines.


Headquarters

The
HSBC Hong Kong headquarters building HSBC Main Building is a headquarters building of The Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation, which is today a wholly owned subsidiary of London-based HSBC Holdings. It is located on the southern side of Statue Square near the location of the ...
is located in No 1 Queen's Road Central in the
Central Central is an adjective usually referring to being in the center of some place or (mathematical) object. Central may also refer to: Directions and generalised locations * Central Africa, a region in the centre of Africa continent, also known as ...
district on
Hong Kong Island Hong Kong Island is an Islands and peninsulas of Hong Kong, island in the southern part of Hong Kong. Known colloquially and on road signs simply as Hong Kong, the island has a population of 1,289,500 and its population density is 16,390/km ...
. It was also home to
HSBC Holdings plc HSBC Holdings plc is a British multinational universal bank and financial services holding company. It is the largest bank in Europe by total assets ahead of BNP Paribas, with US$2.953 trillion as of December 2021. In 2021, HSBC had $10.8 tril ...
's headquarters until the latter firm's move to
London London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...
to meet the requirements of the UK regulatory authorities after the acquisition of the Midland Bank in 1992. It was designed by British architect Norman, Lord Foster, and was the most expensive building in the world based on usable floor area at the time it was built.


Hong Kong dollar bank notes

HSBC is one of the three commercial banks which are authorised to issue
banknote A banknote—also called a bill (North American English), paper money, or simply a note—is a type of negotiable instrument, negotiable promissory note, made by a bank or other licensed authority, payable to the bearer on demand. Banknotes w ...
s for Hong Kong - the other two being the
Bank of China (Hong Kong) Bank of China (Hong Kong) Limited () also known as its short name Bank of China (Hong Kong) or BOCHK (), is a subsidiary of the Bank of China (via a Hong Kong-listed intermediate holding company BOC Hong Kong (Holdings)). Bank of China (Hong K ...
and
Standard Chartered Bank (Hong Kong) Standard Chartered Hong Kong (officially Standard Chartered Bank (Hong Kong) Limited, ) is a licensed bank incorporated in Hong Kong and a subsidiary of Standard Chartered. It is also one of the three commercial banks licensed by the Hong Kong Mo ...
. Of the total notes in circulation measured by value, HSBC is the most prolific issuer, its notes representing 67.7% of those in issue. Hong Kong is unusual in that it is one of the few countries or territories where commercial banks are still permitted to issue their own banknotes.


Other Hong Kong operations


Hang Seng Bank

HSBC acquired a 62.14%, controlling interest in the local Hang Seng Bank in 1965 during a crisis of the latter. The
Hang Seng Index The Hang Seng Index (HSI) is a freefloat-adjusted market- capitalization-weighted stock-market index in Hong Kong. It is used to record and monitor daily changes of the largest companies of the Hong Kong stock market and is the main indicator ...
for stock prices in Hong Kong is named after the Hang Seng Bank.


PayMe

In 2017, HSBC launched the PayMe brand and mobile app, which features as a social payment app in Hong Kong, available to all non-HSBC users.


HSBC Insurance

HSBC Insurance provides insurance products and services to international and local brokers, agents and direct customers in
Hong Kong Hong Kong ( (US) or (UK); , ), officially the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China ( abbr. Hong Kong SAR or HKSAR), is a city and special administrative region of China on the eastern Pearl River Delt ...
,
mainland China "Mainland China" is a geopolitical term defined as the territory governed by the People's Republic of China (including islands like Hainan or Chongming), excluding dependent territories of the PRC, and other territories within Greater China. ...
,
Macau Macau or Macao (; ; ; ), officially the Macao Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China (MSAR), is a city and special administrative region of China in the western Pearl River Delta by the South China Sea. With a pop ...
,
Singapore Singapore (), officially the Republic of Singapore, is a sovereign island country and city-state in maritime Southeast Asia. It lies about one degree of latitude () north of the equator, off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, borde ...
,
India India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...
and
Malaysia Malaysia ( ; ) is a country in Southeast Asia. The federation, federal constitutional monarchy consists of States and federal territories of Malaysia, thirteen states and three federal territories, separated by the South China Sea into two r ...
.


Asia Pacific operations

The Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation maintains a network of around 600 offices in 20 countries in Asia Pacific, as well as owning of a number of HSBC banks operating in various countries and holding the group's stakes in further lenders, particularly in
China China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. It is the world's most populous country, with a population exceeding 1.4 billion, slightly ahead of India. China spans the equivalent of five time zones and ...
.Simplified structure chart - Group structure , HSBC Holdings plc
/ref> Operations of the group in the Asia Pacific are under this subsidiary, and it forms the regional headquarters for Asia Pacific. This means that it is responsible for entities such as
HSBC Bank Australia Limited HSBC Bank Australia Limited (formerly the HongkongBank of Australia Limited) is the Australian subsidiary of HSBC. The bank offers a wide range of financial services in Australia through a network of 36 branches and offices. These services inc ...
,
Hang Seng Bank Limited Hang Seng Bank Limited () is a Hong Kong-based banking and financial services company with headquarters in Central, Hong Kong. It is one of Hong Kong's leading public companies in terms of market capitalisation and is part of the HSBC Group, ...
,
HSBC Bank (China) Company Limited HSBC Bank (China) Company Limited (; often abbreviated as ) was one of the first foreign banks to incorporate locally in mainland China in 2007. It is part of the worldwide HSBC Group and is wholly owned by Hong Kong-based The Hongkong and Shan ...
,
HSBC Bank Malaysia Berhad HSBC Bank Malaysia Berhad was incorporated locally in Malaysia on 1 October 1984. It is part of the HSBC Group and is a wholly owned subsidiary of HSBC Holdings plc, headquartered in London.HSBC Bank (Vietnam) HSBC Bank may refer to any one of the following principal local banks or divisions of the HSBC Group: Asia-Pacific * HSBC (Hong Kong) ** PayMe, its local payment service * HSBC Bank (China) * HSBC Bank Australia * HSBC Bank India * HSBC Bank Malays ...
,
HSBC Bank (Taiwan) HSBC Bank (Taiwan) Limited () is the foreign bank to incorporate locally in Taiwan since 2009. It is part of the HSBC Group and is wholly owned by Hong Kong-based The Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation Limited. HSBC's presence in Taiwan da ...
and
HSBC Insurance (Asia-Pacific) Holdings Limited HSBC Insurance (Asia-Pacific) Holdings Limited is part of the worldwide HSBC Group and is wholly owned by The Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation Limited. Its subsidiaries operate as HSBC Insurance (滙豐保險). History The history of HSB ...
, and the management of stakes in
Bank of Communications Bank of Communications Limited (BoComm) (; often abbreviated as ), is the fifth-largest bank in mainland China. Established in 1908, the Bank of Communications claims a long history in China and is one of the banks to have issued banknotes in mo ...
(19.9%), Barrowgate Limited (24.64%) and Industrial Bank. But excluding the majority of the HSBC’s Private Banking business in Asia Pacific.


Bangladesh

HSBC started operations in 1996. The bank primarily focuses on urban areas and has branches in most areas of the capital city of
Dhaka Dhaka ( or ; bn, ঢাকা, Ḍhākā, ), formerly known as Dacca, is the capital and largest city of Bangladesh, as well as the world's largest Bengali-speaking city. It is the eighth largest and sixth most densely populated city ...
, it also has branches in the city of
Chittagong Chittagong ( /ˈtʃɪt əˌɡɒŋ/ ''chit-uh-gong''; ctg, চিটাং; bn, চিটাগং), officially Chattogram ( bn, চট্টগ্রাম), is the second-largest city in Bangladesh after Dhaka and third largest city in B ...
. The bank also has a good number of ATM booths in the cities present, it also has booths in most five star hotels. HSBC Bangladesh is rated 'AAA' in the Long-term and ST-1 rating in the Short-term, which are the highest level of ratings for any bank or financial institution in Bangladesh. HSBC Bangladesh offers a comprehensive range of financial services such as commercial banking, consumer banking, payments and cash management, trade services, treasury, and custody and clearing. The bank also offers offshore banking in the Export Processing Zones, this is only limited to investors in the EPZs. A special service called NRB Services is also available for non-resident Bangladeshis, this service allows consumers to maintain accounts in US Dollars, Pound Sterling and Euros. People using this service can freely remit money from Bangladesh to any part of the world and can access their money from any HSBC booth around the world. HSBC Bangladesh has a help centre which operates on a daily basis. It is one of the very few banks in the country to offer day night banking. It also has begun to support education initiatives for people with disabilities; the bank recently partnered with the
Blind Education and Rehabilitation Development Organisation Blind Education and Rehabilitation Development Organisation (BERDO) is a nonprofit non-governmental organization which works to empower people with disabilities through programs such as microcredit financing and education. Organization BERDO w ...
to give scholarships to people with blindness.


Brunei

On 6 April 2016, HSBC
Brunei Brunei ( , ), formally Brunei Darussalam ( ms, Negara Brunei Darussalam, Jawi alphabet, Jawi: , ), is a country located on the north coast of the island of Borneo in Southeast Asia. Apart from its South China Sea coast, it is completely sur ...
commenced winding down its operation in Brunei as a part of HSBC Group global review. The bank which comprise retail, commercial and global banking services will no longer take on any new accounts, facilities or business from that date. Employees of the bank have been offered fair redundancy packages. On 9 & 10 November 2017, all HSBC Brunei branches and ATMs had ceased its operations. The remaining accounts were all transferred to the local, Baiduri Bank on the same date.


China

HSBC established its
Shanghai Shanghai (; , , Standard Mandarin pronunciation: ) is one of the four direct-administered municipalities of the People's Republic of China (PRC). The city is located on the southern estuary of the Yangtze River, with the Huangpu River flow ...
branch office on 3 March 1865 and has had a continuous presence in the city since then, except during the Japanese Occupation. Until the economic reforms of the late 1970s, its activities were mainly in inward remittances and export bills, however its activities now span a wider range. On 6 August 2004, HSBC announced that it would pay US$1.75 billion for a 19.9% stake in Shanghai-based Bank of Communications. At the time of the announcement,
Bank of Communications Bank of Communications Limited (BoComm) (; often abbreviated as ), is the fifth-largest bank in mainland China. Established in 1908, the Bank of Communications claims a long history in China and is one of the banks to have issued banknotes in mo ...
was China's fifth-largest bank and the investment by HSBC was eight times bigger than any previous foreign investment in a Chinese bank. The industry considered this move, giving HSBC a lead in the race to grab pieces of mainland China's banking market. A year earlier, HSBC had joined with Hong Kong's
Shanghai Commercial Bank The Shanghai Commercial Bank (SCB; Chinese: 上海商業銀行) is an international bank based in Hong Kong. Its subsidiary companies offer banking and financial services across the world, but mainly in China, the United Kingdom, and the United S ...
to purchase an 11% stake in
Bank of Shanghai Bank of Shanghai Co., Ltd. (BOSC) is an urban commercial bank based in Shanghai in China. The bank was ranked 73rd among 1000 banks around the world by ''The Banker'' in terms of their Tier 1 capital in 2020. History The Bank of Shanghai was foun ...
(HSBC paid US$62.6 million for an 8% stake) and US$733 million for a 10% stake in
Ping An Insurance Ping An Insurance known also as Ping An of China (), full name Ping An Insurance (Group) Company of China, Ltd. is a Chinese holding conglomerate whose subsidiaries provide insurance, banking, asset management, financial, healthcare services. Th ...
. On 1 April 2007, the mainland China offices of The Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation transferred to its subsidiary HSBC Bank (China), and it started operations on 2 April. In July 2022, HSBC became the first foreign lender to open a
Chinese Communist Party The Chinese Communist Party (CCP), officially the Communist Party of China (CPC), is the founding and One-party state, sole ruling party of the China, People's Republic of China (PRC). Under the leadership of Mao Zedong, the CCP emerged victoriou ...
(CCP) committee in its Chinese investment banking subsidiary. The subsidiary, HSBC Qianhai Securities, is a 90% HSBC-owned joint venture.


India

In 1959 HSBC acquired The
Mercantile Bank of India, London and China The Mercantile Bank of India, London and China, later Mercantile Bank Ltd (), was an Anglo-Indian bank with business focus in the Far East. It was founded in Bombay in 1853 as the Mercantile Bank of Bombay; and later in 1857 was renamed to Mer ...
, established in October 1853 in
Bombay Mumbai (, ; also known as Bombay — the official name until 1995) is the capital city of the Indian state of Maharashtra and the ''de facto'' financial centre of India. According to the United Nations, as of 2018, Mumbai is the second- ...
. HSBC is now one of the fastest growing foreign banks in India, both in domestic banking and support operations for worldwide operations (see Group Service Centres).


Indonesia

The Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation opened its first Indonesian office in
Jakarta Jakarta (; , bew, Jakarte), officially the Special Capital Region of Jakarta ( id, Daerah Khusus Ibukota Jakarta) is the capital and largest city of Indonesia. Lying on the northwest coast of Java, the world's most populous island, Jakarta ...
in 1884. Having been able to restart its operations after the
Second World War World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
, it was again forced to close in the mid-1960s, however the Bank was granted a new banking licence in 1968 its operations have grown to make it one of the largest foreign banks operating in Indonesia.


Japan

HSBC opened its first Japan operations in
Yokohama is the second-largest city in Japan by population and the most populous municipality of Japan. It is the capital city and the most populous city in Kanagawa Prefecture, with a 2020 population of 3.8 million. It lies on Tokyo Bay, south of To ...
in 1866, followed by branches in other trading ports such as
Osaka is a designated city in the Kansai region of Honshu in Japan. It is the capital of and most populous city in Osaka Prefecture, and the third most populous city in Japan, following Special wards of Tokyo and Yokohama. With a population of 2. ...
,
Kobe Kobe ( , ; officially , ) is the capital city of Hyōgo Prefecture Japan. With a population around 1.5 million, Kobe is Japan's seventh-largest city and the third-largest port city after Tokyo and Yokohama. It is located in Kansai region, whic ...
and
Nagasaki is the capital and the largest city of Nagasaki Prefecture on the island of Kyushu in Japan. It became the sole port used for trade with the Portuguese and Dutch during the 16th through 19th centuries. The Hidden Christian Sites in the ...
. It was heavily involved in the early development of Japan's current monetary system, and consulted with the government regarding fiscal policy,
currency A currency, "in circulation", from la, currens, -entis, literally meaning "running" or "traversing" is a standardization of money in any form, in use or circulation as a medium of exchange, for example banknotes and coins. A more general def ...
printing and related matters. HSBC does not conduct ordinary retail banking in Japan, but conducts investment banking in
Tokyo Tokyo (; ja, 東京, , ), officially the Tokyo Metropolis ( ja, 東京都, label=none, ), is the capital and largest city of Japan. Formerly known as Edo, its metropolitan area () is the most populous in the world, with an estimated 37.468 ...
and
Osaka is a designated city in the Kansai region of Honshu in Japan. It is the capital of and most populous city in Osaka Prefecture, and the third most populous city in Japan, following Special wards of Tokyo and Yokohama. With a population of 2. ...
. Since 2007 it has expanded its HSBC Premier private banking services for the "
Mass affluent In marketing and financial services, mass affluent and emerging affluent are the high end of the mass market, or individuals with US$100,000 to US$1,000,000 of liquid financial assets plus an annual household income over US$75,000. Mass affluent c ...
" market or
high-net-worth individual High-net-worth individual (HNWI) is a term used by some segments of the financial services industry to designate persons whose investible wealth (assets such as stocks and bonds) exceeds a given amount. Typically, these individuals are defined ...
clients. HSBC Premier has seven Premier branches in Japan including centers in the Hiroo, Akasaka,
Marunouchi Marunouchi () is a commercial district of Tokyo located in Chiyoda between Tokyo Station and the Imperial Palace. The name, meaning "inside the circle", derives from its location within the palace's outer moat. It is also Tokyo's financial di ...
(flagship),
Ginza Ginza ( ; ja, 銀座 ) is a district of Chūō, Tokyo, located south of Yaesu and Kyōbashi, west of Tsukiji, east of Yūrakuchō and Uchisaiwaichō, and north of Shinbashi. It is a popular upscale shopping area of Tokyo, with numerous intern ...
,
Yokohama is the second-largest city in Japan by population and the most populous municipality of Japan. It is the capital city and the most populous city in Kanagawa Prefecture, with a 2020 population of 3.8 million. It lies on Tokyo Bay, south of To ...
,
Ikebukuro is a commercial and entertainment district in Toshima, Tokyo, Japan. Toshima ward offices, Ikebukuro station, and several shops, restaurants, and enormous department stores are located within city limits. It is considered the second largest ...
, areas of Tokyo and one in
Kobe Kobe ( , ; officially , ) is the capital city of Hyōgo Prefecture Japan. With a population around 1.5 million, Kobe is Japan's seventh-largest city and the third-largest port city after Tokyo and Yokohama. It is located in Kansai region, whic ...
. In December 2011, HSBC announced to selling its private bank in Japan to Swiss peer
Credit Suisse Credit Suisse Group AG is a global investment bank and financial services firm founded and based in Switzerland. Headquartered in Zürich, it maintains offices in all major financial centers around the world and is one of the nine global " ...
for an undisclosed sum, but at the end of October 2011 the value of the gross assets included in the sale was about $2.7 billion. It was a strategy to cut $3.5 billion annual costs by quitting businesses or countries where it lacks scale which Credit Suisse has a larger business in Japan than HSBC and in line with a global business restructuring it announced that will see it cut 30,000 jobs as it pares back small or inefficient operations.


New Zealand

HSBC's operations in
New Zealand New Zealand ( mi, Aotearoa ) is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and over 700 smaller islands. It is the sixth-largest island count ...
are as a branch of The Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation, which first gained a licence from the
Reserve Bank of New Zealand The Reserve Bank of New Zealand (RBNZ, mi, Te Pūtea Matua) is the central bank of New Zealand. It was established in 1934 and is constituted under the Reserve Bank of New Zealand Act 1989. The governor of the Reserve Bank is responsible for N ...
on 22 July 1987. Today HSBC offers a range of financial products from a network of 9 offices.


Philippines

HSBC's history in the
Philippines The Philippines (; fil, Pilipinas, links=no), officially the Republic of the Philippines ( fil, Republika ng Pilipinas, links=no), * bik, Republika kan Filipinas * ceb, Republika sa Pilipinas * cbk, República de Filipinas * hil, Republ ...
dates back more than 110 years with the establishment of their first branch no. 90 Rosario Street (Now Quintin Paredes Street) in Binondo,
Manila Manila ( , ; fil, Maynila, ), officially the City of Manila ( fil, Lungsod ng Maynila, ), is the capital of the Philippines, and its second-most populous city. It is highly urbanized and, as of 2019, was the world's most densely populate ...
in 1875. In its early years of operation, HSBC serviced the booming Philippine sugar industry. At the turn of the century, it financed railways that connected provincial towns across Luzon to Manila. During the American regime, HSBC was called to advise on Philippine currency reform. Its current headquarters are in Fort Bonifacio. Today, HSBC Philippines operates in key Philippine cities such as
Cebu Cebu (; ceb, Sugbo), officially the Province of Cebu ( ceb, Lalawigan sa Sugbo; tl, Lalawigan ng Cebu; hil, Kapuroan sang Sugbo), is a province of the Philippines located in the Central Visayas region, and consists of a main island and 167 ...
and Davao. It has ended
Citibank Citibank, N. A. (N. A. stands for " National Association") is the primary U.S. banking subsidiary of financial services multinational Citigroup. Citibank was founded in 1812 as the City Bank of New York, and later became First National City ...
and
Standard Chartered Standard Chartered plc is a multinational bank with operations in consumer, corporate and institutional banking, and treasury services. Despite being headquartered in the United Kingdom, it does not conduct retail banking in the UK, and around 9 ...
's duopoly on international banking in the Philippines.


Singapore

In
Singapore Singapore (), officially the Republic of Singapore, is a sovereign island country and city-state in maritime Southeast Asia. It lies about one degree of latitude () north of the equator, off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, borde ...
, The Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation Limited operates as a full service bank with its headquarters in
Collyer Quay Collyer Quay () is a road in Downtown Core, Singapore that starts after Fullerton Road and ends at the junction of Raffles Quay, Finlayson Green and Marina Boulevard. The road houses several landmarks namely, Clifford Pier, Change Alley, Hit ...
. It opened its doors in December 1877. In 2016, HSBC has created a locally incorporated bank in Singapore and has moved its retail and wealth business from HSBC Singapore Branch to the locally incorporated bank. Today, HSBC's flagship office remains at the original Collyer Quay site where its first branch was opened. Its main office is located at Mapletree Business City in Pasir Panjang,
HarbourFront Harbourfront may refer to: * Harbourfront (Toronto), a neighbourhood in Toronto ** 509 Harbourfront, Toronto streetcar route **Harbourfront Centre, cultural organization on the waterfront of Toronto * HarbourFront (Singapore), waterfront site in Si ...
. HSBC Singapore is a Qualifying Full Bank and offers a comprehensive range of financial services including commercial banking, investment and private banking, insurance, forfaiting and trustee services, and securities and capital markets services. The retail and wealth business operated through the locally incorporated bank has 12 branches incorporating 10 HSBC Premier Centres and 33 Automated Teller Machines in Singapore. In the 1960s, a group of Indonesian forces bombed the HSBC building in Singapore, just a few months after Singapore was granted its independence from Malaysia. A number of people were killed and the two military officers responsible for the bombing were tried and executed.


South Korea

HSBC is expanding in competitive
South Korea South Korea, officially the Republic of Korea (ROK), is a country in East Asia, constituting the southern part of the Korea, Korean Peninsula and sharing a Korean Demilitarized Zone, land border with North Korea. Its western border is formed ...
n market, operating from a network of 11 branches, the first having been opened in
Jemulpo Incheon (; ; or Inch'ŏn; literally "kind river"), formerly Jemulpo or Chemulp'o (제물포) until the period after 1910, officially the Incheon Metropolitan City (인천광역시, 仁川廣域市), is a city located in northwestern South Kore ...
in 1897 .


Sri Lanka

HSBC has been present in Sri Lanka for 120 years. The Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation Limited established its first branch in
Colombo Colombo ( ; si, කොළඹ, translit=Koḷam̆ba, ; ta, கொழும்பு, translit=Koḻumpu, ) is the executive and judicial capital and largest city of Sri Lanka by population. According to the Brookings Institution, Colombo me ...
Sri Lanka on 1 July 1892, just 27 years after it began operating in Hong Kong and Shanghai. It has established itself as one of the largest and most profitable banks operating in the country. It has achieved leadership in Corporate Banking, Capital Markets and Credit Card issuance.


Taiwan

HSBC's presence in
Taiwan Taiwan, officially the Republic of China (ROC), is a country in East Asia, at the junction of the East and South China Seas in the northwestern Pacific Ocean, with the People's Republic of China (PRC) to the northwest, Japan to the nort ...
dates back to 1885 when The Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation appointed an agent in Tamsui. A full service branch was established in
Taipei Taipei (), officially Taipei City, is the capital and a special municipality of the Republic of China (Taiwan). Located in Northern Taiwan, Taipei City is an enclave of the municipality of New Taipei City that sits about southwest of the n ...
in 1984. The bank now has a network of 8 branches (Hyperlink to service channel) nationwide, including Taipei, Jianguo,
Banqiao Banqiao () may refer to: Taiwan *Banqiao District, seat of New Taipei Mainland China *Banqiao Dam (), dam on the Ru River near Zhumadian, Henan that suffered an infamous failure in 1975 *Banqiao Town (disambiguation) *Banqiao Township (disambigua ...
, Tianmu, Taoyuan,
Taichung Taichung (, Wade–Giles: ''Tʻai²-chung¹'', pinyin: ''Táizhōng''), officially Taichung City, is a special municipality located in central Taiwan. Taichung has approximately 2.8 million residents and is the second most populous city of Taiw ...
,
Tainan Tainan (), officially Tainan City, is a Special municipality (Taiwan), special municipality in southern Taiwan facing the Taiwan Strait on its western coast. Tainan is the oldest city on the island and also commonly known as the "Capital City" ...
, and
Kaohsiung Kaohsiung City (Mandarin Chinese: ; Wade–Giles: ''Kao¹-hsiung²;'' Pinyin: ''Gāoxióng'') is a special municipality located in southern Taiwan. It ranges from the coastal urban center to the rural Yushan Range with an area of . Kaohsi ...
. In 2007, The Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation acquired
The Chinese Bank ''The'' () is a grammatical article in English, denoting persons or things that are already or about to be mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in E ...
in Taiwan. The acquisition made HSBC's nationwide branch network increase to 47.


Thailand

HSBC initially opened for business in
Thailand Thailand ( ), historically known as Siam () and officially the Kingdom of Thailand, is a country in Southeast Asia, located at the centre of the Indochinese Peninsula, spanning , with a population of almost 70 million. The country is bo ...
in 1888, becoming the first commercial bank in the country. HSBC has made significant contributions to the establishment of solid foundations for Thailand's financial and banking sectors. For example, in 1889 HSBC issued the first banknotes in Thailand. HSBC also issued the first foreign loan to the
Thai government The Government of Thailand, or formally the Royal Thai Government ( Abrv: RTG; th, รัฐบาลไทย, , ), is the unitary government of the Kingdom of Thailand. The country emerged as a modern nation state after the foundation of t ...
for its railroad construction project. HSBC's main branch office in Thailand is situated in Bangkok on Rama IV Road opposite Lumpini Park. In 2011, Phase 2 of the new Financial Sector Master Plan allowed foreign banks to open up to two branches in the Kingdom of Thailand in preparation for full retail operations. Accordingly, a second branch was opened on Thonglor (Sukhumvit 55) in early 2011. In January 2012 HSBC announced the sale of its Thailand retail banking operations to the Krungsri Group ( Bank of Ayudhya) and its intention to maintain only corporate banking business in Thailand. Its 2 retail branches will be closed in March and June 2012 respectively.


Vietnam

In Vietnam, HSBC first opened an office in
Saigon , population_density_km2 = 4,292 , population_density_metro_km2 = 697.2 , population_demonym = Saigonese , blank_name = GRP (Nominal) , blank_info = 2019 , blank1_name = – Total , blank1_ ...
(now Ho Chi Minh City) in 1870. In August 1995, HSBC opened a full-service branch in Ho Chi Minh City. In 2005, HSBC also opened its second branch in Hanoi and established a representative office in Can Tho. On 29 December 2005, HSBC acquired 10% share capital of Vietnam Technological and Commercial Joint Stock Bank ( Techcombank), one of the largest joint stock commercial banks in Vietnam by equity. In July 2007, HSBC became the first foreign bank to increase its stake in Techcombank to 15%. In September 2008, HSBC completed the increase of its stake in Techcombank to 20%, became the first foreign bank in Vietnam to hold a 20% interest in a domestic bank. In September 2007, HSBC acquired 10% share capital of Bao Viet Holdings, becoming the sole foreign strategic partner of Vietnam's leading insurance company. In October 2009, HSBC signed an agreement to increase its shareholding in Bao Viet Holdings to 18% from 10% for VND1.88 trillion (approximately US$105.3 million). On 1 January 2009, HSBC started operating its locally incorporated entity and became the first foreign bank to incorporate in Vietnam, after gaining approval from the State Bank of Vietnam (SBV) to set up a Wholly Foreign-Owned Bank (WFOB) in Vietnam in September 2008.


Leadership

* ''Current Chairman:'' Peter Wong (since June 2021); non-executive chairman * ''Current Chief Executive:'' David Liao and Surendra Rosha (since June 2021); co-chief executives


List of Former Chairmen

''In 1991, the super-ceding position of Group Chairman of
HSBC HSBC Holdings plc is a British multinational universal bank and financial services holding company. It is the largest bank in Europe by total assets ahead of BNP Paribas, with US$2.953 trillion as of December 2021. In 2021, HSBC had $10.8 tri ...
was formed; since then, the Chairman of the Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation has been held as an independent position, held concurrently by the Chief Executive of the Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation, or held by the Group Chief Executive of HSBC ex-officio.'' #
Francis Chomley John Francis Chomley (22 May 1822 – 14 April 1892) was an Irish businessman in Hong Kong and China in the mid-19th century. He was the first chairman of the Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Company and member of the Legislative Council of Hong Ko ...
(1865–1866) # John Dent (1867) # Edward Cunningham (1867) # Agathon Nissen (1867) # George Hellend (1867–1868) # George Heard (1869) # Henry Lemann (1870) #
Richard Rowett Richard Rowett (November 17, 1830 – July 13, 1887) was a leading political figure of nineteenth-century Illinois, a famous animal breeder and an officer in the Union Army during the American Civil War. He was born in East Looe, Cornwall in 1830 ...
(1871–1872) # Thomas Pyke (1872–1873) # Solomon Sassoon (1873–1874) # William Forbes (1874–1875) # Adolph von Andre (1875–1876) # Emanuel Belilios (1876–1877) # Hans Hoppius (1877–1878) # Frederick Sassoon (1878–1879) # William Forbes (1879–1880); second term # William Keswick (1880–1881) # Alexander McIver (1881–1882) # Henry Liston-Dalrymple (1882–1883) # Wilhelm Reiners (1883) # Alexander MacEwen (1883–1885) # Frederick Sassoon (1885–1886); second term # Alexander McIver (1886); second term # Max Grote (1886–1887) # Charles Bottomley (1887–1888) #
John Bell-Irving John Bell-Irving, JP (2 February 1846 – 1925) was a Scottish businessman in Hong Kong. He was a partner of the Jardine Matheson & Co., one of the leading trading firm in the Far East. He was the eldest son of John Bell-Irving of Whitehill, a ...
(1888–1889) # William Forbes (1889–1890); third term # Henry Liston-Dalrymple (1890–1891); second term # Jacob Moses (1891–1892) #Stephen Michaelsen (1892–1893) #Hans Hoppius (1893–1894); second term #Charles Holliday (1894–1895) #Jacob Moses (1895–1896); second term #
Alexander McConachie Alexander McConachie (7 July 1840 – 18 March 1913) was a prominent Scottish merchant in Hong Kong and the member of the Legislative Council. McConachie was born on 7 July 1840 in Glenrinnes, Banffshire, Scotland. He went to Hong Kong and was ...
(1896–1897) #Stephen Michaelsen (1897–1898) #
James Jardine Bell-Irving James Jardine Bell-Irving (24 December 1859 – 8 June 1936) was a Scottish businessman in Hong Kong and China and member of the Executive Council and Legislative Council of Hong Kong. Son of John Bell-Irving and Mary Jardine, niece of Dr. Wil ...
(1898–1899) #
Roderick Gray Roderick Gray (22 October 1870 – 27 May 1951) was a New Zealand rugby union player. Gray was born in Masterton in 1870, and he received his education there. A utility forward, Gray represented Wairarapa at a provincial level, playing 15 gam ...
(1899–1900) #Nicolaus Siebs (1900–1901) # James Keswick (1901–1902) #
Robert Shewan Robert Gordon Shewan (13 November 1859 – 14 February 1934) was a Scottish businessman in Hong Kong. Early life Robert and his twin brother William were born in London on 13 November 1859. They were sons of Andrew Shewan (1820–1873), a master ...
(1902–1903) #Abraham Raymond (1903–1905); two consecutive terms #Herbert Tomkins (1905–1906) #Armin Haupt (1906–1907) #George Medhurst (1907–1908) # Henry Keswick (1908–1909) # William Gresson (1909–1910) #Herbert Tomkins (1910–1911); second term #
Edward Shellim Edward Shellim (c. 1869 – 7 December 1928) was an English Jewish businessman in Hong Kong. Biography Born in Sussex, England to Ezekiel Shellim and Rebecca Sassoon, daughter of David Sassoon (treasurer), David Sassoon, he joined his grandfath ...
(1911–1912) #Francis Armstrong (1913–1914) #
David Landale David Landale (6 August 1868 – 6 September 1935) was the 13th Tai-pan of the Jardine Matheson & Co. and member of the Executive Council and Legislative Council of Hong Kong. Early life Born on 6 August 1868, Landale was the son of Rev. Da ...
(1914–1916) #Walter Pattenden (1916–1917) # Stanley Dodwell (1917–1918) # Percy Holyoak (1918–1919) #John Plummer (1919–1920) # Edward Parr (1920–1921) #George Edkins (1921–1922) #George Dodwell (1922–1923) #
Archibald Lang Archibald Lang (c. 1860 – 23 January 1925) was a Scottish footballer who played as a defender. Career Lang played club football for Dumbarton and made one appearance for Scotland Scotland (, ) is a country that is part of the United K ...
(1923–1924) # Dallas Bernard (1926–1928) #Albert Compton (1928–1929) #Neilage Brown (1929–1930) #John Plummer (1930–1931); second term # Charles Mackie (1931–1932) # John Paterson (1932–1933) # Thomas Pearce (1933–1934) # Charles Mackie (1934–1935); second term # Stanley Dodwell (1935–1936) # John Paterson (1936–1937); second term #Geoffrey Miskin (1937–1938) # Thomas Pearce (1938–1939); second term #Andrew Shields (1939–1940) #Harrie Wilkinson (1940–1941) # John Paterson (1941–1942); third term # Arthur Morse (1941–1953) #
Cedric Blaker Cedric Blaker (19 November 1889 – 18 June 1965) was a British entrepreneur in China and Hong Kong. He was the chairman of the Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation, the ''South China Morning Post'' and the Hong Kong Chamber of Commerce ...
(1954–1958) # Michael Turner (1959–1962) #
Hugh Barton Hugh David MacEwen Barton, CBE (17 January 1911 – 16 April 1989) was a British Hong Kong businessman who served as chairman and managing director of Jardine Matheson from 1953 to 1963. Biography Barton was born on 17 January 1911 in Ireland. ...
(1962–1963) # William Knowles (1964) # John Saunders (1964–1972) #
Guy Sayer Guy Mowbray Sayer, CBE, JP (18 June 1924 – 14 April 2009) was the chief manager of the Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation from 1972 to 1977, and an unofficial member of the Legislative A legislature is an assembly with the author ...
(1972–1977) #
Michael Sandberg, Baron Sandberg Michael Graham Ruddock Sandberg, Baron Sandberg, CBE (, 31 May 1927 – 2 July 2017) was executive chairman of The Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation from 1977 to 1986. Biography Sandberg was born in Surrey and educated at St Edward's Sch ...
(1978–1986) # Sir William Purves (1986–1994); Group Chief Executive from 1990-1992; Group Chairman from 1990 to 1998; # John Gray (1994–1996); concurrent Chief Executive # John Strickland (1997–1999) #
David Eldon David Gordon Eldon CBE (, born 1945) is former chairman of The Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation Limited. He retired in May 2005, after spending 37 years with HSBC Group, but remains actively engaged in banking and business life. Career ...
(1999–2005) #
Vincent Cheng Vincent Cheng Hoi-Chuen GBS OBE JP (, 16 July 1948 – 28 August 2022) was a Hong Kong banker who was HSBC Holdings plc. He was also chairman of The Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation Limited, the Asia-Pacific branch of HSBC and f ...
(2005–2010); first local Hong Kong Chinese Chairman #
Michael Geoghegan Michael may refer to: People * Michael (given name), a given name * Michael (surname), including a list of people with the surname Michael Given name "Michael" * Michael (archangel), ''first'' of God's archangels in the Jewish, Christian an ...
(2010–2011); Group Chief Executive from 2006 to 2011 #
Stuart Gulliver Stuart Thomson Gulliver (born 9 March 1959) is a British banker, and the former group chief executive of HSBC. He was succeeded on 21 February 2018 by John Flint. Early life and education He was born in Derby, England, in 1959. His father P ...
(2011–2017); concurrent Group Chief Executive # John Flint (2017–2019); concurrent Group Chief Executive #
Laura Cha Laura Cha Shih May-lung, GBM, GBS, JP (; born 5 December 1949) is a Hong Kong businesswoman and politician. She is the Chairman of Hong Kong Stock Exchange and Non-Executive Deputy Chairman of The Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporati ...
(2019–2021); non-executive chairman


List of Former Chief Executives

''Known as Chief Managers prior to 1986; in 1991, the super-ceding position of Group Chief Executive of
HSBC HSBC Holdings plc is a British multinational universal bank and financial services holding company. It is the largest bank in Europe by total assets ahead of BNP Paribas, with US$2.953 trillion as of December 2021. In 2021, HSBC had $10.8 tri ...
was formed, with the Chief Executive of the Hongkong Shanghai Banking Corporation now being the Asia-Pacific regional head.'' # Victor Kresser (1868–1870) # James Greig (1871–1876) # Sir Thomas Jackson (1876–1886) # John Walter (1886–1887) # Sir Thomas Jackson (1887–1889); second term # George Noble (1889–1890) # Sir Thomas Jackson (1890–1891); third term # François de Bovis (1891–1893) # Sir Thomas Jackson (1893–1902); fourth term # James Smith (1902–1910) # Newton Stabb (1910–1920) # Alexander Stephen (1920–1924) # Arthur Barlow (1924–1927) # Arthur Hynes (1927–1930) # Sir Vandeleur Grayburn (1930–1941) # Sir Arthur Morse (1941–1953) # Michael Turner (1953–1962) # Sir Jake Saunders (1962–1964) # Hsi-Jui Shen (1964–1972) #
Guy Sayer Guy Mowbray Sayer, CBE, JP (18 June 1924 – 14 April 2009) was the chief manager of the Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation from 1972 to 1977, and an unofficial member of the Legislative A legislature is an assembly with the author ...
(1972–1977) #
Michael Sandberg, Baron Sandberg Michael Graham Ruddock Sandberg, Baron Sandberg, CBE (, 31 May 1927 – 2 July 2017) was executive chairman of The Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation from 1977 to 1986. Biography Sandberg was born in Surrey and educated at St Edward's Sch ...
(1978–1986) # Sir William Purves (1986–1992) # John Gray (1993–1996) #
David Eldon David Gordon Eldon CBE (, born 1945) is former chairman of The Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation Limited. He retired in May 2005, after spending 37 years with HSBC Group, but remains actively engaged in banking and business life. Career ...
(1997–1999) # Aman Mehta (1999–2004) # Michael Smith (2004–2007) #
Sandy Flockhart Alexander Andrew "Sandy" Flockhart CBE (, born 22 December 1951) is a former CEO of The Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation Limited. Early life He was born in the UK and brought up and educated in Edinburgh, Scotland, where he attended Geor ...
(2007–2009) # Peter Wong (2010–2021)


Cultural references

In Hong Kong, the local population sometimes refers to the bank as 獅子銀行, "the Lion Bank", after the pair of lion sculptures outside the bank's headquarters, which also appear in some banknotes. Local films and television series set in Hong Kong, especially comedies, use this nickname when referring to the bank. Although the
Hong Kong Government The Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, commonly known as the Hong Kong Government or HKSAR Government, refers to the Executive (government), executive authorities of Hong Kong Special administrative regions of China, ...
changed the official spelling of "Hongkong" to "Hong Kong", by the instructions of the
Secretary of State for the Colonies The secretary of state for the colonies or colonial secretary was the Cabinet of the United Kingdom, British Cabinet government minister, minister in charge of managing the United Kingdom's various British Empire, colonial dependencies. Histor ...
, on 3 September 1926, HSBC uses the older ''Hongkong'', as the bank's name was conceived before the official declaration of the modern two-word name, and it was decided to retain the single word spelling in the Bank's name: ''Hongkong''. The famous English humorist P. G. Wodehouse was a junior employee at the Bank's London office in Lombard Street from 1900 to 1902, and used the bank as an inspiration for some of his early work, especially his 1910 novel ''Psmith in the City''..


See also

*
HSBC Holdings plc HSBC Holdings plc is a British multinational universal bank and financial services holding company. It is the largest bank in Europe by total assets ahead of BNP Paribas, with US$2.953 trillion as of December 2021. In 2021, HSBC had $10.8 tril ...
*
HSBC Bank (China) HSBC Bank (China) Company Limited (; often abbreviated as ) was one of the first foreign banks to incorporate locally in mainland China in 2007. It is part of the worldwide HSBC Group and is wholly owned by Hong Kong-based The Hongkong and Shang ...
*
HSBC Bank Australia HSBC Bank Australia Limited (formerly the HongkongBank of Australia Limited) is the Australian subsidiary of HSBC. The bank offers a wide range of financial services in Australia through a network of 36 branches and offices. These services inc ...
*
HSBC Bank Malaysia HSBC Bank Malaysia Berhad was incorporated locally in Malaysia on 1 October 1984. It is part of the HSBC Group and is a wholly owned subsidiary of HSBC Holdings plc, headquartered in London.Hang Seng Bank *
Bank of Communications Bank of Communications Limited (BoComm) (; often abbreviated as ), is the fifth-largest bank in mainland China. Established in 1908, the Bank of Communications claims a long history in China and is one of the banks to have issued banknotes in mo ...
*
HSBC Hong Kong headquarters building HSBC Main Building is a headquarters building of The Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation, which is today a wholly owned subsidiary of London-based HSBC Holdings. It is located on the southern side of Statue Square near the location of the ...


References


Further reading

* King, A. H. ed. ''Eastern banking: essays in the history of the Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation'' (1983
online


External links


The Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation LimitedHSBC History
- Daily Telegraph obituary {{DEFAULTSORT:Hongkong And Shanghai Banking Corporation Banks established in 1865 1865 establishments in Hong Kong Banks of Hong Kong HSBC subsidiaries Companies formerly listed on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange Companies formerly listed on the Shanghai Stock Exchange Former companies in the Hang Seng Index Banknote issuers of Hong Kong History of companies of China Chinese companies established in 1865