05-08-2025
HSBC appoints John McDonald as Chief Marketing Officer
HSBC has appointed John McDonald as Chief Marketing Officer (CMO) with effect 1 October 2025. McDonald was the Group CMO at Swiss-based multinational investment bank and financial services firm UBS.
In this newly created role, McDonald will bring together the Marketing and Brand functions across HSBC's four primary businesses under unified leadership.
He will be responsible for shaping and delivering HSBC's marketing, branding, client engagement across the bank's four business areas of International Wealth and Premier Banking, Corporate and Institutional Banking, Hong Kong and the UK.
During his 25-year career as a global marketing leader, John has worked with the world's leading brands such as Mastercard, American Express and British Airways, and led key accounts at Publicis Groupe and WPP across the Americas, Asia and Europe.
Sharing his thoughts on a LinkedIn post, John McDonald, CMO, HSBC, said, 'It's a pivotal time to join — as HSBC reshapes itself to become simpler, more agile, and more focused on the needs of its clients. I can't wait to contribute to that transformation and build on the incredible momentum my future colleagues around the world have already created.'
McDonald added, 'I was born in Clapham South, raised in Wembley, went to school in Barnet, and started my first proper job in Canary Wharf (at Ogilvy, when they still had a speedboat you could use — it was a very different time). My parents still live in North London. But as the years passed, I stopped calling London home. In truth, I didn't think I'd ever have reason to do so again. But, if I've learned anything, it's that life rarely follows the path we expect. So I couldn't be happier to be coming home — to lead a truly iconic global brand and take on what is, for me, the opportunity of a lifetime.'
He joins HSBC at a pivotal time, given its renewed strategy to become a more simple, agile and focused bank to better serve its customers.
Commenting on the appointment, Barry O'Byrne, CEO, International Wealth and Premier Banking at HSBC, said, 'HSBC's ambition is to become the most trusted bank globally, putting our customers at the heart of everything we do. We are excited to welcome John whose depth and range of experience will be invaluable – not only as we increase our focus on wealth, but as we accelerate growth, increase market share and build an even more distinctive brand that resonates with current and future clients across our businesses and markets globally.'
Recent highlights of HSBC's brand, marketing and client engagements include its Global Brand Campaign including the 'Originals' content series with Bloomberg, Conde Nast and Vox Media, a refreshed Global Airport strategy resulting in media presence across 23 global airports.
The bank has also invested in strategic brand partnerships such as: the Kai Tak Stadium in Hong Kong, HSBC Championships in the UK and the LIV Golf Global Partnership – all alongside an existing portfolio across sports, arts and culture.
In 2025, HSBC relaunched its Private Bank and Premier services, in addition to hosting a series of wealth Summits, including their Flagship Global Investment Summit.
The bank also rebranded the newly created Corporate and Institutional Banking (CIB) business. Additionally, HSBC recently marked its 160th year with celebratory events, activations and digital engagement campaigns to enhance client interaction and brand presence.
