(9 March 2021 – China) Standard Chartered unveiled growth targets for its Greater Bay Area (GBA) business, increasing its headcount from 1,400 now to 2,500 in 2023.
The Bank aims to triple its income from the GBA over the next five years and is investing US$40 million in a new Guangzhou-based centre. Areas of focus include retail banking, corporate banking, green finance and most notably, wealth management.
Standard Chartered became the first major bank to appoint a chief executive role for the GBA in 2020, reflecting its growth ambition for the 11-city cluster with a population of 72 million.
“Wealth management connect will be the next big thing in the Greater Bay Area. The manufacturing and innovation industries are creating many wealthy people in the area,” said Standard Chartered Greater Bay Area chief executive Anthony Lin.
Standard Chartered also plans to get involved in green finance services in the GBA. Guangzhou has recently set up a futures exchange with a focus on trade climate-related investment products.