John Gray (British banker)
John Malcolm Gray, CBE (28 July 1934 - 19 November 2009) was a Scottish businessman and the former chairman and chief executive of the Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation in Hong Kong from 1993 until his retirement in 1996.[1][2] He was the third generation of his family to work for the organisation.[3] Gray was appointed a Commander of the Order of the British Empire in 1996.[3]
Background[edit]
John Malcolm Gray was born in Hong Kong on 28 July 1934.[3] At the beginning of the Second World War, Samuel Gray, his father, was manager of the bank in Calcutta.[3] He sent his family to Australia for safety.[3] Gray was educated in Australia and at Strathallan School in Perthshire, Scotland.[3]
Gray's family connection with the HSBC began in 1883 when his great uncle joined the Hongkong Bank serving as its agent in Hankow.[3] His father joined the bank in 1914 and his great uncle in 1920, all of whom would become bank managers.[3]
Career[edit]
Gray joined the London branch of the bank as a trainee in 1952 before moving out to Hong Kong in 1956.[4] Further postings with the bank led him to India, Malaysia, Brunei, France and Germany.[3] In 1979 Gray was appointed as chief accountant closely followed by several promotions in the early eighties to executive director and subsequently deputy chairman of the bank.[3] During this time he also served as chairman of James Capel, the newly acquired stockbroking arm of the organisation.[3] In 1992 he was appointed a director of the recently founded HSBC Holdings in London.[3][5]
Further appointments[edit]
- Member of the Executive Council of Hong Kong;[3]
- Chairman of the Hong Kong Port Development Board;[3]
- Chairman of the Hong Kong Club;[3]
- Deputy chairman of Harvey Nichols;[3][6]
- Director of the World Maritime shipping group;[3]
- Appointed a CBE in 1996.[3]
Awards[edit]
References[edit]
- ^ "Inside the World's Most Profitable Bank". The New York Times. 21 August 1994. Retrieved 9 November 2012.
- ^ "HSBC sticks to the inside track". The Independent. 24 May 1995. Retrieved 9 November 2012.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r "John Gray". The Daily Telegraph. 31 December 2009. Retrieved 9 November 2012.
- ^ "Banker praises ex-HSBC chief". South China Morning Post. 27 November 2009. Retrieved 29 November 2012.
- ^ "HSBC Holdings PLC". www.webb-site.com. 2012. Retrieved 9 November 2012.
- ^ "Stock offer at retailer is rejected by minority". The New York Times. 12 November 2002. Retrieved 9 November 2012.
- 1934 births
- 2009 deaths
- People educated at Strathallan School
- Commanders of the Order of the British Empire
- Members of the Executive Council of Hong Kong
- 20th-century Scottish businesspeople
- Scottish bankers
- British corporate directors
- Scottish chairpersons of corporations
- Scottish expatriates in Hong Kong
- Hong Kong businesspeople
- Chairmen of HSBC