London-headquartered, finance multinational HSBC is a stalwart of foreign banking in Lebanon, and Executive has consistently inquired with its senior management over the years about the bank’s strategies and views on the country. Logically, we did not let the opportunity skip by to be the first to sit down and chat with Peter Yeates, the British banker who has just taken the baton from Francois-Pascal de Maricourt as the new chief executive of HSBC Lebanon. What are your first impressions of the Lebanese business climate? It has been an exciting four weeks since my arrival and my first impressions are that this is a busy place, there is a lot to do and people are extremely welcoming. I have a really good feeling about our customer base and our staff and the enthusiasm that we have for business. I am picking up from somebody who has built a very well-managed
