Based in Kuala Lumpur, Karel will be spearheading one of the leading commercial banking franchises in Malaysia, which entails servicing small and medium enterprises (SMEs), mid-markets, large corporates and international subsidiaries.

She has diverse experience spanning corporate, commercial and investment banking.

Karel has a track record in customer relations and brings to the fore strong operational, credit and risk management expertise as chief operating officer (COO) of CMB Malaysia and also as head of CMB for HSBC Amanah.

She is a strong advocate of gender equality and is co-chair for the regional and local Diversity and Inclusion committees in HSBC. She is also a member of the 30% Club and LeanIn Malaysia.

When her role commences, she will be reporting regionally to Amanda Murphy, HSBC’s head of CMB South and Southeast Asia and HSBC Bank Malaysia’s CEO, Omar Siddiq.

Omar said in a statement that Karel will be leading the commercial banking business in Malaysia and will continue to drive the group’s ambition for growth.

“She will deepen our presence in the local SME and mid-market space and capture the increasing flow of international trade into Malaysia,” he said.