Noel Quinn
| Personal details | |
| Born | Noel Paul Quinn 1962/1/13 (age 64) 🇬🇧 England, United Kingdom |
| Nationality | 🇬🇧 British |
| Spouse | Name undisclosed (married) |
| Children | 3 adult children |
| Career details | |
| Occupation | Former HSBC Group CEO (2020-2024) |
| Net worth | US$50-65 million (est. 2024) |
Sir Noel Paul Quinn (born 13 January 1962) is a British banker who served as Group Chief Executive of HSBC Holdings, one of the world's largest banks with $3 trillion in assets, from March 2020 to September 2024. Under Quinn's leadership, HSBC achieved record profits of $30.3 billion in 2023 while navigating intense geopolitical tensions between China and the West. He was appointed Knight Bachelor in the 2025 New Year Honours for services to banking and the economy.
Born in England, Quinn joined Midland Bank subsidiary Forward Trust Group in 1987 after training as chartered accountant at Grant Thornton. When HSBC acquired Midland Bank in 1992, Quinn's 37-year career at HSBC spanned commercial banking across Asia-Pacific, Europe, and global operations. His tenure as CEO was marked by major controversies including HSBC's support for China's Hong Kong national security law and freezing accounts of pro-democracy activists, drawing criticism from UK Parliament and human rights groups.
Early Life and Education
Born 13 January 1962 in England, Quinn studied at Birmingham Polytechnic and trained as chartered accountant with Grant Thornton accounting firm.
Career
Joined Forward Trust Group (Midland Bank subsidiary) 1987. When HSBC acquired Midland Bank 1992, became HSBC employee. Served as Regional Head of Commercial Banking for Asia-Pacific (2011-2015, based Hong Kong), CEO of Global Commercial Banking (2015-2019), appointed interim Group CEO August 2019, confirmed March 2020. Retired September 2024, succeeded by Georges Elhedery. Knight Bachelor 2025.
Personal Life
Married with 3 adult children, lives in Surrey, England. Wife's name undisclosed. Enjoys golf and countryside walks.
Compensation
£10.6 million ($13.4M) in 2023, nearly double from £5.56M in 2022, following record HSBC profits.
Controversies
Major criticism for HSBC's June 2020 public support of China's Hong Kong national security law. Froze accounts of pro-democracy activists including Ted Hui (exiled legislator), Pastor Roy Chan, and Jimmy Lai under Hong Kong police instructions. Defended actions before UK Parliament stating "not my position to make moral or political judgment." HSBC has broader money laundering history including $1.92B fine in 2012 for transferring $7B from Mexico and hiding $19.4B Iran transactions.