Nicholas Soo

I run the Payment Products team for Asia Global Payments Solutions, and I am jointly responsible for our broader Product franchise. Given the focus on growing our payments business as well as the general prominence of payments in our industry, this is a really exciting time to work in this domain.

Client expectations are changing, and we have to navigate an increasingly uncertain regulatory and operating landscape. This is why having strong connectivity within the organisation is really important, both in keeping us aligned and getting diverse views on how to tackle business opportunities.

I joined the bank as a management trainee in 2004, and have had fantastic learning opportunities, having worked in a few markets and travelled the globe to meet clients and colleagues. From experience, both GPS and HSBC have a unique culture that is welcoming and collaborative. This is a treasured asset.

Personally, dealing with Covid has been a challenge, particularly with two kids. I cannot be prouder to work for an organisation that demonstrated a huge amount of empathy to all employees, providing support and flexibility to allow us to be at our best.

I started off in domestic Sales and Product team lead roles, and then progressed into larger regional leadership roles in our Asia product team. Given the heft of HSBC, particularly in Asia, we are seen by the industry, be it regulators, clients or other ecosystem participants, as a valuable partner in helping to shape the future of finance. This is a responsibility we do not take on lightly.

My advice to anyone joining the company would be to be open-minded and remain curious at all times. Take every assignment as a learning opportunity, no matter how mundane it may appear because it will contribute to your overall growth and will benefit you later on in your career. Do ask questions of your line manager on how the assignment connects to the firm’s broader strategy but do take a longer-term view, as I promise you that the dots will magically connect later on.