LONDON, Sept 17 (Reuters) - HSBC has hired a former
senior adviser to British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, as
Europe's biggest bank by assets looks to navigate ongoing
geopolitical tensions between the West and its biggest markets
in Hong Kong and China.
Edward Udny-Lister will join HSBC as a senior adviser to
Chairman Mark Tucker and will provide strategic advice to him
and other leaders at the company, the lender said in a
statement. He starts in the role on Sept. 27.
The appointment was first reported by Bloomberg.
Udny-Lister left https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/edward-lister-quits-uks-special-envoy-gulf-the-telegraph-2021-04-23
his role as the prime minister's special envoy for the Gulf in
April following media scrutiny over his work in the private
sector. He was previously Downing Street's chief of staff.
HSBC said the hire had been cleared with conditions by the
Advisory Committee on Business Appointments (ACOBA), which
advises former ministers and civil servants on outside
employment.
Lister told ACOBA his HSBC role would be focused on the Far
East and HSBC's second headquarters in Hong Kong, and would not
involve lobbying the UK government, according to a letter
published by the committee on Friday.
Conditions placed on Lister include not having any contact
on behalf of HSBC with Number 10 or any part of the Chinese
government for two years from the end of his government role.
He has also been told not to become personally involved in
lobbying the UK government or to make use of contacts gained in
government for two years.
(Reporting by Iain Withers; editing by Jonathan Oatis)