HSBC Appoints First Global CMO as Brand Unification Becomes Strategic Priority
John McDonald, formerly of UBS, joins HSBC as its inaugural Global Chief Marketing Officer, signalling a renewed global push in brand, client engagement and wealth management.
In a move that reflects its accelerating ambitions in international wealth management and global brand cohesion, HSBC has named John McDonald as its first-ever Global Chief Marketing Officer. The newly created role, announced in early August 2025, places McDonald at the helm of a marketing transformation that aims to unify the bank’s messaging across key markets, business lines and client segments.
Set to assume the position on 1 October, McDonald will oversee global marketing, branding, and client engagement activities for HSBC’s four most strategically significant areas: International Wealth and Personal Banking, Corporate and Institutional Banking, and its flagship UK and Hong Kong operations. He will report directly to Barry O’Byrne, Chief Executive of International Wealth and Personal Banking, and will be based in London.
John McDonald
This is more than a senior hire; it represents a material shift in HSBC’s approach to global marketing. The creation of a global CMO post indicates that the bank now sees brand coherence not as a support function, but as a strategic imperative.
Wealth Management: The Growth Engine
McDonald’s appointment comes amid a broader structural reorientation of HSBC’s business model. In recent years, the bank has divested assets in North America and parts of Europe in order to sharpen its focus on Asia and wealth management globally.
The marketing shift dovetails with an ambitious objective: to become a top-five wealth manager in the UK and grow its assets under management to $100 billion by 2028. To support this aim, the bank is recruiting over 200 additional employees for its UK wealth division in 2025 alone, underscoring the commercial weight being placed on the brand's ability to attract and retain high-value clients.
HSBC’s wealth strategy is not merely expansionary it is identity-defining. With global wealth creation shifting eastwards and client expectations moving towards digitally integrated, personalised experiences, the bank is positioning marketing as a front-line driver of engagement and growth.
From UBS to HSBC: McDonald’s Mandate
McDonald arrives at HSBC from UBS, where he served as Group CMO from January 2023. There, he played a key role in repositioning the Swiss bank’s brand in the aftermath of its acquisition of Credit Suisse. His experience in aligning multi-market, multi-product brand portfolios makes him a logical choice for HSBC as it seeks to achieve greater internal coherence and external impact.
Over a 25-year career, McDonald has held senior marketing roles at Mastercard, American Express, British Airways, and leading agencies such as WPP, Publicis Groupe, Digitas and OgilvyOne. He has worked across North America, Asia, and Europe—a geographical spread that mirrors HSBC’s own footprint.
In a recent LinkedIn post announcing his appointment, McDonald described the role as “an opportunity of a lifetime,” adding that he was “thrilled to be returning to London,” where he grew up. Industry observers see his hire as part of a growing trend among global banks to elevate marketing leadership to C-suite status, particularly as digitalisation compresses the gap between brand awareness and customer conversion.
Consolidating the HSBC Brand
McDonald’s arrival coincides with a significant period of marketing investment at HSBC. In recent months, the bank has launched a number of high-profile brand initiatives designed to support its new business focus and sharpen its global visibility.
Among these is a strategic content partnership called “HSBC Originals,” developed with Bloomberg Media, Condé Nast and Vox Media. The initiative uses branded storytelling to articulate HSBC’s role in areas such as sustainability, entrepreneurship, and global trade. The series is part of a shift toward premium editorial content as a vehicle for brand alignment with key audiences.
In parallel, HSBC has redesigned its global airport strategy, targeting 23 major international hubs with a renewed visual identity and consistent messaging aimed at high-net-worth and business travellers.
Sponsorship continues to play a prominent role in its global branding. Recent activations include the Kai Tak Sports Park in Hong Kong, a new partnership with the controversial LIV Golf Tour, and sponsorships in the arts and retail sectors that are designed to localise the bank’s presence in key markets while retaining global consistency.
These initiatives are unfolding as the bank celebrates its 160th anniversary, a milestone that has been leveraged through campaigns linked to client events, investment summits, and legacy content distributed across owned and paid media.
Brand, Business and the C-Suite
While many banks have been content to view marketing as a cost centre, HSBC’s decision to appoint a global CMO and to give that executive a remit across multiple core business units suggests a more integrated view of brand as a business asset.
Crucially, McDonald’s reporting line is not to a communications or corporate affairs function, but to the CEO of HSBC’s wealth division. This is emblematic of a broader shift within financial services, where brand is being pulled closer to commercial strategy.
Marketing, in this context, becomes more than storytelling. It is about shaping the customer experience, informing product development, and driving engagement across complex global markets where trust and reputation are paramount.
As financial brands attempt to differentiate in a world of increasingly commoditised products, McDonald’s challenge will be not just to articulate HSBC’s global purpose, but to ensure that purpose resonates at the local level—across cultures, channels, and customer types.
The Stakes Ahead
McDonald steps into the role at a pivotal time—not only for HSBC, but for global financial marketing more broadly. Regulatory scrutiny is increasing. Audience behaviours are fragmenting. Digital experiences are expected to be seamless. And brand trust, once lost, is harder than ever to regain.
Yet in that complexity lies opportunity. HSBC’s strategy appears to rest on the idea that a centralised, globally coherent brand can drive performance at the edges—bringing alignment, efficiency, and stronger client relationships.
If that hypothesis proves correct, McDonald will not only shape the future of HSBC’s brand. He may help redefine the role of the CMO in banking itself.