C OVER
STORY
David Thomas of HSBC on ‘agile workforces’ and the future of learning
Flexible working has long been part of the culture at HSBC, but the pandemic accelerated and normalised it. How did the firm turn flexible working into an opportunity for agile learning? In this exclusive interview with People Matters, David Thomas, Asia Head of HR at HSBC, casts a new light on learning amid the pandemic and tells us how he envisions the future of work By Mastufa Ahmed
D
avid Thomas is General Manager and Head of Human Resources, Asia Pacific The Hong Kong and Shanghai Banking Corporation Limited. He joined HSBC in May 2019. Prior to this role, David had been Senior Vice President, Head of Human Resources, Asia at Manulife Financial (Hong Kong) since 2014. He also worked for Standard Chartered before joining Manulife. There, he held a variety of positions from 2002. He is also a Member of the Joint Management Board of British Consulate in Hong Kong.
42
| october 2021
David has a Bachelor of Management Science Degree from Aston University in Birmingham, UK, and a postgraduate diploma in Human Resources Management from the University of Wales, Cardiff, UK. He also attended executive development programmes at Harvard Business School, University of Oxford, Cranfield School of Management, and IMD Business School. He is a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Personnel and Development.
In this exclusive interview with People Matters, David casts a new light on learning amid the COVID-19 pandemic and tells us how he envisions the future of work.
How do you define the ‘new world of work’ and what’s the most significant implication of these changes to talent leaders globally? There is now an evidenced realisation and acceptance that work can be done remotely to the same standard or better, and that
