Monday, February 19, 2007
HSBC’s Mark Watkinson
By Jenara Regis Newman
MARK Watkinson, HSBC’s new president and chief executive officer, who was in Cebu recently for the inauguration of HSBC’s second branch in Cebu on A.S. Fortuna St., Mandaue City.
Tall and personable, Mark (he refused to be called Mr. Watkinson) proved to be a down-home kind of person, comfortable to be with, and truly interested in the culture of the Philippines, a glamorous aspect of it he saw at the state dinner for the Asean summit (never, he remarks, has he been to an affair as formal, as graciously presented as that dinner: the food and its presentation, plus the program that went with it which had Leah Salonga singing for the guests).
Comfortable in his barong, which he has worn since probably day 2 of his arrival in the Philippines, he talked about his family (wife Sarah and children Thomas and Caroline) and the places they have already explored in the Philippines, among them Tagaytay, Corregidor and Fort Santiago. Widely traveled, the family seems to be very comfortable wherever they may be located. He was raised in various countries (he spent 12 years of his childhood in Singapore, from age six months) particularly in the East as was his wife, British by birth, who migrated to New Zealand but they met in Dubai briefly and it was in Hong Kong where they fell in love and got married.
Mark got his law degree from the University of Wales in 1984, got a barrister’s degree in United Kingdom from the Legal College of Education in 1985, an Associate of Institute of Financial Services from the Institute of Financial Services from England, and an MBA with distinction from the University of Warwick in 1995.
He was 22 years old when he joined HSBC in 1986, starting as OIC of current accounts in the United Arab Emirates, moving up to become a manager of the Jebell All Branch in 1988. In 1989, he was assigned in Hong Kong where, by 1994, he was corporate banking relationship manager, Hongs division. Then he took his MBA and afterwards, was assigned as manager, Belait District, in Brunei Darussalam, from 1995 to 1998. From there he went back to the United Kingdom and in 2000, was again in the United Arab Emirates. His last position, before coming to the Philippines, was senior vice president and group head of Middle Markets based in New York.
He has visited the Philippines before, and remembers staying at the Manila Hotel at a time when most of today’s hotels were non-existent. A family-oriented person, he enjoys reading to his children and enjoys the works of J.R.R. Tolkein with them. His cosmopolitan palate is partial to Thai food, particularly tom yam soap. For exercise, he swims a mile a day, which he also uses as a time for thinking, for planning. And planning, for HSBC Philippines, means moving ahead so that by the year’s end, HSBC will have 30 branches by the year’s end (up by eight from its present 22).
Mark Watkinson, though only a couple of months in this country, has already made his dynamic presence felt wherever HSBC has its branches, and is surely a welcome and attractive addition to the country’s Manila’s business and social circles.
For Bisaya stories from Cebu. Click here. (February 19, 2006 issue)
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