Hang Seng Bank appoints Diana Cesar to lead business

HSBC owned Hang Seng Bank has appointed Diana Cesar, group general manager and chief executive, Hong Kong from HSBC to succeed Louisa Cheang as executive director and chief executive of Hang Seng Bank, effective from 1 September. 

In a statement, HSBC said Cheang will extend her leave of absence while she receives medical treatment and will return as an HSBC executive in due course. HSBC has initiated a process to find a new chief executive for Hong Kong. During the search period, chief operating officer for Hong Kong at HSBC Luanne Lim (pictured) will assume the role of Interim chief executive, Hong Kong, until a successor is appointed. Lim has help this position since 2017. In that time, she has delivered innovation and efficiency programmes enhancing the experience of customers and employees, and most recently, led the bank’s COVID-19 response in Hong Kong.

David Liao, group managing director and co-chief executive of HSBC Asia Pacific, said, "Cesar is the right person to build on Cheang's record and take Hang Seng to the next level. Hong Kong has a bright future, and under Cesar's direction, Hang Seng Bank will be there to help our customers make the most of new opportunities. We’re back in full growth mode, increasing our investment in both people and technology to capture the growing wealth segment and wholesale banking services in Hong Kong and across the Greater Bay Area."

“Working at HSBC for 22 years has given me the opportunity to be involved in most aspects of banking, and as chief executive, Hong Kong, HSBC, I have been able to work closely with customers, regulators, shareholders and staff. We have achieved a lot, even though the external environment has been complicated, largely because of shared objectives across the bank and a strong focus on meeting customer needs," Cesar said. 

She added that going forward, Hang Seng Bank is in an exciting time for banking with many new players as well as opportunities such as the Greater Bay Area. "Maintaining good values, an approach that is green and one based on the community will be central to our strategies. We will face the future with confidence and determination," she explained. 

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