Country Head – Wealth and Personal Banking
Tara Latini went to Malaysia in 2018 with the mission of transforming HSBC’s wealth and personal banking business in the Southeast Asian country, which is home to nearly 32 million people.
HSBC’s Malaysia business was in rough shape when she arrived; besides additional investment in technology, Latini also had to find a way to reverse a high attrition rate among employees and a low level of engagement among those that had stuck around.
“We needed a cultural change program to make us the best place to work and get employees excited for the future,” said Latini, who had worked previously as global transformation director for the bank’s retail business.
Over the next three years, Latini and her team rolled out a program called #WeCan that has become a model for HSBC globally and earned Latini a promotion. In April, she was named head of wealth and personal banking for HSBC USA.
The program took its inspiration from a Malaysian norm: the hearty reply of “can” or “can can” from people asked to take on a task. By 2020, it had driven survey scores for employee engagement, focus and belief in strategy to peak levels — and all of this despite the COVID-19 pandemic. Attrition levels, meanwhile, had returned to normal, and in the bank’s branches they even hit new lows.
HSBC’s Malaysian business turnaround wasn’t confined to its employees. Under Latini’s leadership, customer satisfaction rose, digital tools proliferated and assets under management reached record highs.
Even as she focused on transformation at HSBC, Latini dove into broader challenges, taking leadership roles in promoting women and diversity in Malaysia. She joined the Women’s Council of the British Malaysian Chamber of Commerce, for example, and became a regular speaker at events advocating for gender equality. She also led a working group that partnered with Teach for Malaysia to create toolkits to improve financial literacy among Malaysian parents and children.
Latini focused on hiring female leaders for HSBC in Malaysia — a strategy she intends to bring with her to her new job.
“Now back in the U.S. leading another transformation, I continue to ensure women are at the helm with me, taking risks and being thought leaders,” she said.
