It took just eight months for Cate Luzio to earn her first promotion at HSBC.
Luzio joined the global bank in December 2014 as head of multinational coverage for the Americas, overseeing a team that managed relationships with corporate clients throughout North, South and Central America. Her group produced results so quickly that in August 2015, HSBC assigned Luzio the same role globally, where she now oversees activities of 9,000 commercial clients in dozens of countries where HSBC does business.
Wyatt Crowell, the head of commercial banking for HSBC Bank USA, said Luzio has been an "impact player" since the day she joined HSBC. "Cate doesn't think in terms of single transactions, products or regions," Crowell said. "She finds ways to bring the greatest holistic value to clients in a way that goes above and beyond their expectations."
Among Luzio's key contributions has been realigning operations in the NAFTA region. She quickly recognized when she joined the firm that corporate clients headquartered in the U.S., Mexico and Canada were not fully taking advantage of opportunities in the countries that are part of the North American Free Trade Agreement. With business lagging, she replaced the management teams in those countries and created a steering committee to examine opportunities in the region. She also became a highly visible advocate for NAFTA, speaking frequently at conferences.
Her efforts are paying off: through the first half of this year, revenue generated from clients with activities in the U.S., Canada and Mexico is up 24%.
Though she travels frequently, Luzio still makes time in her busy schedule to mentor and advocate for other women. She co-founded a group a women's group within HSBC's commercial bank that, through mentorship and training, works to advance the careers of female commercial bankers. She and colleague Katia Bouazza created a resource group called the Senior Women's Initiative, a program focused on providing up-and-coming female managers to network with HSBC's senior-most female executives.
