HSBC chief warns against excessive risk-taking as UK bonus cap lifted

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HSBC’s chief executive Noel Quinn has said the removal of the UK’s bonus cap should not be seen as an opportunity for bankers to increase risk-taking.

Speaking at the Financial Times Global Banking Summit on Wednesday, Quinn said: “I’m not a fan of just unleashing inappropriate amounts of risk-taking.”

He added that the strength of the UK’s prudential regulations had allowed HSBC to buy Silicon Valley Bank’s UK operations swiftly when the parent company ran into trouble in March.

On Tuesday, Bim Afolami, the UK’s new City minister, who earlier in his career worked at HSBC, said regulators needed to be more comfortable with risk-taking by companies.

“Animal spirits need to be there, we need to innovate,” said Afolami.