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After two decades at Deutsche Bank, Kanas Chan has stepped into HSBC Global Private Banking (HSBC GPB). In her first 100 days, she’s been busy strengthening client ties, boosting staff engagement, and sharpening processes. Asian Private Banker caught up with her in Hong Kong to hear what’s brewing in her new role.
Describing herself as a humble, servant-minded leader, Chan, now head of global private banking for North Asia and Hong Kong, said she is focused on driving initiatives that empower teams, foster collaboration, and leverage expertise to deliver client-centric solutions.
At the same time, she is committed to nurturing talent to support long-term, sustainable growth. “We have a very strong team of talent who are very committed,” Chan told APB, reflecting on how her leadership style complements the team. Her Christian values guide how she makes decisions and works with people.
“I always see myself as a servant leader. Humility, within the Christian belief, means that you have to be humble,” she explained. “There are different types of leaders. Some lead by authority, but that’s not my style.
“I did not start my career as a banker, and I won’t teach you how to be one. I respect that you know the clients better than I do and value everyone’s expertise and passion. From that, I believe a level of humbleness is very important,” Chan said.
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Any pushbacks?
Starting at a new firm often brings challenges, but for Chan, the transition has been smooth, thanks to HSBC’s collaborative culture and her focus on two-way communication and listening to staff feedback.
In her first 100 days, she met nearly all her relationship managers, about 99%, noting with a smile, “I haven’t heard any pushback so far. My experience has been very positive.”
Chan has also sat down with each of the 21 teams in North Asia to gather feedback on their daily pain points and identify areas where she can provide support.
“You have to humbly listen to people. And then I explain that change cannot happen overnight and that we have to prioritise the issues. Then we determine what can be done, whether quick wins or more fundamental changes.”
“There is no perfect world. There are always areas, such as processes and systems, that we continue to improve to better serve our clients. It’s not that simple, as we are a big bank, for quick wins, we need to think more innovatively.”
The people
While Chan is exploring ways to create more opportunities for staff engagement in Hong Kong, talent development remains her top priority. She has launched initiatives such as enhancing the cluster model to groom future leaders and maximise synergies, as well as reviewing the graduate roadmap to provide a clearer career path for young talent.
“I am also supportive of staff engagement and wellbeing activities,” she continued. “For example, I will encourage people to organise corporate or social service activities and participate in volunteer work together with their families. We can involve children, partners, and spouses as well.”
Chan noted that many staff are passionate about activities such as jogging, running, badminton, basketball, and football. To support this, HSBC supports staff in forming interest clubs and sports teams to strengthen team bonding.
“I feel that 24 hours a day is not enough. I really want to spend more time with my people.”
Deepen wallet share
From the client coverage perspective, Chan is keen to further deepen HSBC’s share of wallet, especially in the ultra high net worth space. And the bank is investing a lot into the next generation, too, she said.
This year, HSBC hosted its flagship next-gen event in Switzerland, bringing together young family leaders for exclusive networking and insights from business leaders and entrepreneurs on transformation and family business experiences. Last year, it was held in Dubai.
“To become the bank for entrepreneurial wealth, we launched a more focused proposition to further build on our connectivity across global private banking, commercial banking and corporate and institutional banking to bridge entrepreneurs’ business with tailored investment strategies and long-term wealth planning.”
HSBC also has a dedicated team, the UHNW solutions group, that focuses on meeting the sophisticated needs of family offices. The team connects clients with other parts of the bank, including private markets and complex solutions, to help add value.
“We also provide portfolio advisory and risk management tools powered by BlackRock’s Aladdin Wealth technology, which enable clients to evaluate portfolios against market scenarios,” Chan said.
Looking ahead, Chan is focused on growing HSBC while keeping her teams and clients at the centre. Her first 100 days are just the beginning, but her blend of experience, humility, and clear vision sets the direction for what’s next.
