HSBC closes its 160-year-old executive development program


12/15/2025

HSBC, Europe's largest bank, has ended its renowned International Manager executive development program, which has been in place since the bank's founding over 160 years ago, according to a report by the Financial Times.



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The recruitment process for the program, which was designed to cultivate the next generation of senior HSBC leaders, is now closed, and there are no intentions to restart it. However, employees who have already completed the program will continue to have the title "IM" in their job positions, as stated by one source.

The decision to stop recruiting for the program was made following the appointment of Georges Elhedery as HSBC's CEO last year, a source close to the decision shared with the Financial Times. The same source also mentioned that the program was temporarily halted during the pandemic.

According to the newspaper's sources, fewer than 100 individuals are still enrolled in the program.

The international manager training initiative was created to develop professionals with diverse skills who could move across HSBC's global operations, granting them a type of diplomatic role within the bank.

source: ft.com