Based in Zurich, Medard will report to Pierre Goad and Charles Naylor, global co-heads of communications, and to Krishna Patel, chief executive of Global Private Banking.

Medard will join the Global Private Banking Exco and the Communications Exco and joins us from Syngenta AG in Switzerland where he was head of external communications. He has been based in Switzerland for the past six years and previously held communications roles at Hill+Knowlton and Royal DSM in the Netherlands. Prior to this he was a corporate and commercial banker with ABN Amro in Amsterdam and London.

In other news for HSBC, Lisa Baitup will become head of communications, Global Research, and will continue to report to Jezz Farr, global head of communications, Global Banking and Markets.

Lisa succeeds Heidi Ashley who has been appointed senior media relations manager in the Corporate Press Office. Heidi will report to Patrick Humphris who has been appointed head of corporate media relations. Patrick will lead the Corporate Press Office and will continue to report to Andy Berry. His appointment becomes effective 1 June and Lisa and Heidi's appointments are effective 1 July.