Celcom Axiata's former digital lead Jack Wong joins HSBC

Jack Wong (pictured) has joined HSBC Malaysia as head of digital as a channel. According to a job post on LinkedIn seen by A+M, the individual is accountable and responsible for the Singapore digital as a channel strategy, and will work closely with global, regional, and Malaysian stakeholders.

Wong was previously with Celcom Axiata for more than three years, last helming the role of head of digital and consumer brands. He first joined the company as head of brand advertising in 2016. Before that, Wong worked as Astro as assistant VP of content marketing and senior brand manager at Permanis, now known as Etika. Wong was also with Ogilvy for more than four years. Wong could not be contacted at the time of writing. HSBC declined to comment on A+M's queries. Heather Goh is the head of digital at HSBC’s Retail Banking and Wealth Management.

HSBC's recent global survey "Navigator: Now, next and how" said that Malaysian businesses are optimistic about the growth outlook of their business, despite recent geopolitical developments reshaping global supply chains. The survey, which was released last month, also revealed that their optimism about growth prospects has strengthened over the past 12 months.

Over the next year, 81% of businesses expect their sales to grow, which is ahead of peers globally (79%) and in Asia (77%). Growth next year is expected to be driven by improving productivity, investment in technology and entering new markets, the survey said.

Stuart Milne, CEO, HSBC Malaysia, said Malaysian businesses are responding positively to changes in the global geopolitical landscape. "Enhanced use of digital technology, expansion across new markets and focusing on strategic suppliers in their supply chains will ensure that they are well positioned to leverage opportunities from the changing economic landscape," he added.

Separately, multiple media outlets recently reported that HSBC is allegedly implementing a cost-cutting scheme named “Project Oak” and about 10,000 jobs are expected to be impacted. The scheme involves encouraging executives and managers to shrink their teams by offering funding from a central pot of money to cover redundancy payouts, media reports said. The bank has approximately 238,000 full-time employees globally, and has a presence in Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia, Thailand and the Philippines.