William Purves
 William Purves      (banker) | |
|---|---|
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| Born | 27 December 1931 Kelso, Scottish Borders, Scotland |
| Nationality | UK |
| Member of | The 1001 Club |
| Interests | HSBC |
Chairman and CEO of The Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation. 1001 Club. Hakluyt & Company Ltd. Bilderberg/1998
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Sir William "Willie" Purves is a Scottish banker. He was the first Group Chairman of HSBC Holdings following the creation of a holding company to act as parent to The Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation and the Midland Bank following the former's acquisition of Midland in 1992.[1] He was a member of the 1001 Club and later Chairman of Hakluyt & Company Ltd. He attended the 1998 Bilderberg meeting.
Born in Kelso, Scotland, Purves attended Kelso High School before commenced training with The National Bank of Scotland (now The Royal Bank of Scotland) in 1948. This was interrupted by National Service in Korea, during which time he was awarded the Distinguished Service Order (DSO)[2] – the only National Service officer to have won this honour.[3] He rejoined banking in 1954 and moved to Hong Kong to join The Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation, where he remained for the rest of his working life. In 1986, he became Chairman and CEO of The Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation, and was appointed Chairman in 1991 prior to the formation of HSBC Holdings, and as such oversaw the purchase and integration of Midland Bank.
Retiring from HSBC in 1998, he played a large role in overseeing the transition from British to Chinese rule in the territory's significant financial services sector.
Knighted in 1993 and awarded the Grand Bauhinia Medal by Hong Kong in 1999, he now lives in London and Oxfordshire. He is married to Lady Purves, and has four children and nine grandchildren by his first wife, Diana Purves.
Board memberships
According to the 1999 the Annual report of Shell at that moment Purves was[4]:
- A Director of Shell Transport and Trading Company since 1993.
- Retired from the Chairmanship of HSBC Holdings plc in May 1998 after 44 years service in that Group.
- Chairman of Hakluyt & Company Ltd,
- Deputy Chairman of Alstom s.a.,
- Trustee of Reuters Founders Share Company Ltd,
- Director of Interpacific Holdings Ltd,
- Director of Scottish Medicine plc,
- Director of Trident Safeguards Ltd and
- Director of World Shipping and Investment Co Ltd.
- Member of Hong Kong Chief Executive's International Advisory Council
- Member of Textron Inc International Advisory Council.
Event Participated in
| Event | Start | End | Location(s) | Description |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bilderberg/1998 | 14 May 1998 | 17 May 1998 | Scotland Turnberry | The 46th Bilderberg meeting, held in Scotland, chaired by Peter Carrington |
