HSBC Malta will be changing its CEO, the bank said on Monday in a company announcement.
Andrew Beane, who has held the post since November 2015, will be taking up a new senior role at the global bank as its chief of staff and transformation, Europe.
He will be replaced by Paris-based Simon Vaughan Johnson, who is currently a senior risk management executive at HSBC France.
Johnson’s appointment is subject to regulatory approval and will take place “at a date still to be determined”, the bank said.
Johnson has more than 30 years of experience in the banking sector and has worked with HSBC across the globe. He served as deputy CEO and chief operating officer at HSBC Uruguay (2002-2003), COO of HSBC Private Bank, Guernsey (2003-2005), head of global transaction banking at HSBC France (2005-2007), senior executive for global commercial banking at HSBC Hong Kong (2007-2009), regional head of commercial banking for HSBC Middle East and north Africa (2009-2011) and CEO of HSBC Bank Middle East Limited in Kuwait (2011-201).
Johnson said he would be focused on delivering "safe but ambitious revenue growth, meeting the banking needs of our customers and maximising the opportunities arising from our unique competitive position as Malta’s leading international bank.”
Beane described Malta as a "special place" for himself and his family and said it had been a privilege to lead the bank over the past years.
"We have changed HSBC Malta to ensure the bank is correctly positioned to thrive for the long-term and I am delighted to welcome Simon to lead this next phase. Building on the strong results we announced for 2019, later this year we will open our national flagship branch in Qormi, which is symbolic of our ambition for the future. I am grateful to the chairman and the board for their support, to my colleagues for their hard work and dedication, and to our customers and shareholders for their trust.”
Bank chairman John Bonello paid tribute to Beane as a "catalyst of change" and said HSBC Malta was a "stronger and safer bank" thanks to him. He welcomed Johnson and said he was confident that his skills and experience would "seamlessly pave the way to the next phase for our bank".