London-based HSBC’s head of public affairs is reportedly stepping down after making controversial remarks about the British government as well as Arabs.
HSBC head of public affairs Sherard Cowper-Coles is leaving the bank next month, according to a «Bloomberg» report citing unnamed sources. The exact reason for his departure is not known.
Cowper-Coles first joined the British lender in 2013, initially as a senior advisor to the group’s top leadership. In his current role, he oversees public policy and government relations globally, advising chairman Mark Tucker and other senior executives.
Controversial Comments
The exit follows controversial comments reportedly made in June at a closed-door meeting in London. After a visit to China, where he met senior government officials in his capacity as China-Britain Business Council chairman, Cowper-Coles criticized the UK government at the meeting for being «weak» and allowing itself to be pressured by the US to reduce business dealings with China.
«I apologize for any offense caused,» he reportedly said in August, adding that the remarks were only his own «personal comments».
Cowper-Coles also reportedly made controversial remarks about Arabs in July. During a speech to University of Oxford students, he said that «the Arab mind is empty compared to the Chinese», according to a «Daily Mail» report. He added that he wished he had learned Chinese instead of Arabic, which he used in his former role as UK ambassador to Saudi Arabia, Israel and Afghanistan.
