Catherine Zhou

Global CIO, Wealth and Personal Banking at HSBC

Catherine Zhou, serving as the Global Head of Ventures, Digital Innovation and partnerships at HSBC, spearheads group-wide initiatives aimed at discovering new profit avenues, pioneering alternative business models, and instigating transformative shifts from an external vantage point.

With a diverse professional background, Catherine's journey spans various key roles. At East West Bank, she oversaw the Consumer Bank, pioneering the establishment of an entirely new suite of digital capabilities from the ground up. Her tenure as a senior partner at PwC witnessed her leadership in the Digital Services arm of the Financial Services Industry, driving substantial growth and expanding the global brand reach.

Her extensive global ties to financial hubs in New York, Asia, and Europe converge with her Silicon Valley roots, where she's engaged deeply with startups and technology giants, fostering the development of digital-first businesses. Catherine's unique blend of left-brained analytical prowess, stemming from her engineering and statistical training at Carnegie Mellon University, harmonizes seamlessly with her right-brained expertise in marketing for Fortune 500 companies, emphasizing the experience economy.

Under her leadership, PwC's FS digital teams experienced remarkable growth, expanding by over 150% annually over the past three years. These efforts resulted in PwC's recognition as a leading global entity in digital services by esteemed publications and analyst firms like AdAge Magazine, Gartner, and IDC, marking their excellence in digital transformation, strategy, operations, and customer engagement consulting services.