The bank’s training initiative speaks to a major theme in the sector – where will the next generation of advisors and bankers come from?

HSBC in the UK is teaming up with the London Business School to establish a new Wealth Academy this autumn.

The academy will provide access to educational resources, best practice and academic accreditations for professionals in the wealth management industry, the bank said in a statement last Friday. 

The launch is part of a wider push to grow the wealth division at scale and attract the industry’s top talent, HSBC said, as it works towards becoming a “Top Five” wealth manager in the next few years and double its assets under management.

Such a move also underscores how talent management remains a major issue in the wealth and private banking sector in the UK, wider Europe, Asia-Pacific, North America, Middle East and other regions. In some countries, such as North America, a significant chunk of wealth advisors are in their late 50s and due to retire in the next decade – at the same time there is a multi-trillion wealth transfer underway. In the UK, changes to tax rules and other developments have made wealth advice more urgent – putting pressure on firms to have talent on the ground. 

“It is no secret that there is a growing talent shortage within the wealth management industry in the UK, at a time where customer demand continues to grow and client needs are becoming increasingly sophisticated,” Christopher Dean (pictured below), managing director of wealth, premier and personal banking, said.   

Christopher Dean

Programme
HSBC said its programme will provide a “structured learning pathway to develop students’ expertise and knowledge – from foundational wealth principles to advanced investment strategies.” 

All HSBC UK colleagues will be able to use the foundation course. “Top performing” advisors will also gain access to the Wealth Excellence curriculum, accredited by the London Business School.

The bank said the new academy, which is being rolled out across 15 other markets globally, complements HSBC UK’s existing “Academy Pathway” development programme, which was launched in 2024. Last year, it enrolled an initial intake of 30 colleagues and is preparing to enroll a new cohort in early 2026.

Dean said that HSBC is also bringing “fresh talent into the industry, by helping colleagues who have great skills but lack industry experience [to] get into wealth management.”

“We also remain focused on supporting women to thrive in an industry that remains very male-dominated. We are proud of the fact four in 10 of our wealth managers are women – which is double the industry standard,” Dean said.

To design the academy curriculum, HSBC surveyed 800 colleagues across 11 geographies about their learning needs. Respondents said they wanted a one-stop location for training that catered for different levels of expertise and provided accreditation to help evidence professional development.

Pillars
The academy has three pillars. The first pillar, the Wealth Knowledge Hub, provides a range of online, self-led learning pathways across three levels of expertise. The “Wealth Live Learning” pillar offers workshops that are designed to develop a range of key skills, ranging from "customer-centricity" to wealth products and market knowledge. 

Finally, the outstanding performers in the academy will reach pillar 3, the “Wealth Excellence Aspirational Programme,” which will offer access to the London Business School course and an invitation to attend a Wealth Global Symposium in China.

“We are delighted to partner with and support HSBC UK’s Wealth Academy initiative, by providing transformative learning that will empower the next generation of industry professionals and help them thrive in a rapidly evolving industry,” Helen Kerkentzes, associate dean, executive education at London Business School, said.