Dyfrig John, who served as an executive director with HSBC Bank Malta until May of this year, has been appointed chief executive officer at HSBC Bank in the U. K.

The appointment follows the announcement that Group Chairman, Sir John Bond, will be retiring in May 2006. Sir John will be succeeded by Stephen Green, the current CEO of the HSBC Group, who in turn will be succeeded by Michael Geoghegan, the present chief executive of HSBC Bank.

“Today’s announcements usher in an important

period of transition in HSBC. Both Dyfrig John, who was an executive director of HSBC Malta until

very recently, and Michael Geoghegan, the new global Group chief executive, know Malta and the

bank here extremely well. I have no doubt that in their new positions they will continue to provide support for the bank in Malta as well as helping HSBC in its ongoing efforts to promote Malta as a place to do business,” said HSBC Bank Malta CEO Shaun Wallis.

HSBC Group’s new chairman, Stephen Green joined HSBC in 1982, taking over responsibility for the HSBC Group’s treasury and capital markets businesses globally.

Michael Geoghegan CBE joined the HSBC Group in 1973 and since then has spent 12 years in North and South America, eight years in Asia, seven years in the Middle East and three years in Europe. Mr Geoghegan is also chairman of Young Enterprise UK

Dyfrig John joined Midland Bank (now HSBC Bank) in 1971 and has occupied a number of senior management positions in the UK and elsewhere, including India and Malaysia.