HSBC is an international banking entity with over 10,000 offices in more than 80 countries on five of the seven continents (and if anyone is going to be banking on Antarctica anytime soon, I’d bet it’d be these people). Many of the founding companies of this international group have their origins from over a century ago. Their very appropriate slogan is ‘We are the world’s local bank.’ This is exemplified by their ability to secure a place in history as the first international bank permitted in rural China.
HSBC stands for The Hong Kong and Shanghai Banking Corporation, the first member of what is now HSBC Group. It was opened in 1865 to capitalize on the increasing trade between the Chinese and the Europeans. Despite its name and history, three of the four countries it currently has the most branches in aren’t in Europe or Asia. The five highest presence countries are, respectively, the United States, the United Kingdom, Mexico, Brazil, and France.
HSBC celebrates its diverse history and has developed a History Wall featuring over 3,500 photograph that depict members of the HSBC group, as the HSBC website describes them,...