HSBC has announced the launch of a new global business, combining retail banking and wealth management and global private banking. Recruitment for wealth teams across Hong Kong, Singapore and mainland China is on track.

HSBC's new unit will become one of the world’s largest global wealth managers with $1.4 trillion in assets, with nearly half of the assets from Asia, according to a media release on Monday. Wealth and personal banking will cover the entire spectrum of private wealth, from retail clients to ultra-high net worth (UHNW) individuals.

Across Asia, where wealth pools are growing faster than in any other region, HSBC’s wealth revenues grew 12 percent in 2019 (year-on-year) to $700 million.

Generational Planning Needs

«This move creates one of the world’s largest and fastest-growing wealth franchises, centered in Asia and serving clients around the world. HSBC’s wealth propositions are compelling, increasingly digital and support individuals no matter where they are in their wealth journey, from first-time investors – to clients considering generational planning needs,» Charlie Nunn, CEO of Wealth and Personal Banking, HSBC, said.

In 2019, HSBC grew affluent and emerging high net worth clients globally in Premier and Jade, respectively, by 7 percent and 14 percent year on year. Over half of Jade’s total clients globally are in Asia. Global private banking, where profit before tax grew by 19 percent, attracted a record $23 billion of net new money in 2019, two-thirds of which were in Asia. 2019 also saw an increase in Asia client assets of 22 percent to $51 billion.

Looking For Wealth Teams

Recruitment for wealth teams across Hong Kong, Singapore, and mainland China is on track. Since 2017, both businesses have recruited 800 people, including private bank relationship managers, investment counselors, UHNW solution specialists, and product specialists, and Jade directors and relationship managers, investment and insurance specialists.

In 2019, four Jade Centres were opened across Singapore, Hong Kong, and Shanghai. This year, HSBC has recently opened two more Jade Centres in Hong Kong and plans to open one in Beijing.