HSBC announced today that its Group Chief Sustainability Officer Celine Herweijer will be stepping down from her role and departing the bank at the end of the year. The firm said that Julian Wentzel, currently Head of Global Banking, MENAT, will be assuming the position of Interim Group Chief Sustainability Officer.

Notably, the announcement follows a restructuring decision by HSBC in October to replace its 18-member Group Executive Committee with a leaner 12-member Group Operating Committee, with the Chief Sustainability Officer no longer included on the bank’s leading decision-making executive committee.

Herweijer joined HSBC in 2021 as Group Chief Sustainability Officer and a member of the Group Executive Committee, and has overseen the development of the bank’s net zero strategy, including its portfolio decarbonization targets. Earlier this year, HSBC launched its first Net Zero Transition Plan, outlining the global bank’s strategy to finance and support the transition to net zero and achieve its climate goals. Prior to joining HSBC, she served as Global Sustainability and Innovation Leader at PwC.

Herweijer said:

“I am deeply proud of what we have achieved at HSBC to support the global sustainability agenda. I believe that HSBC – as one of the world’s largest banks – has a key role to play in financing the transition across the global economy and supporting our customers.”

In a statement announcing the departure, HSBC said that “Celine has made a lasting impact on the Group and leaves with our thanks and best wishes for the future,” adding that “supporting the transition to net zero remains a priority for HSBC, and one of the four pillars of our business strategy.”