Having been with HSBC for almost 20 years, Egyptian-born Nadia Chamont – a British national who was assigned as Head of Private Banking in Bahrain in April this year – is happy to be back in the Gulf and serving her clients, including many distinguished women in the region.

“I’m very proud to be working for HSBC, which has had a foothold in the region for almost 100 years,” says Chamont, who is also responsible for the ladies’ market in both Qatar and Bahrain. “HSBC Private Bank has shown interest in ladies banking since 1990, with dedicated female members looking after clients as well as dedicated offices and branches for ladies.”

She continues: “We have been looking after ladies’ banking needs in the Arab world for many years now, and because women in the Gulf actually make up half the society and we consider them to hold a crucial role in today’s world, it makes perfect sense for us to focus our attention on them. And while we do not want to educate them per se, we do want to guide them in the right direction financially.”

Noting that the tradition of women being looked after financially by their fathers, husbands or brothers has “changed dramatically” over the years, Chamont is pleased that women have started looking after their own affairs, “which has afforded them a certain measure of independence over the years”.

“The women who come to us invariably run their own business. And I feel our duty as a bank is to support these ladies, stand by them, help them make important financial decisions and see if they are looking for any tailor-made solutions we can provide them with. On the other hand, we have women who come to us who have just inherited a substantial amount of money and seek our advice on how to invest their millions,” she says.

Surprised that women in the region “have been overlooked for a long time”, Chamont is also proud to be associated with Arab women “who have advanced by leaps and bounds”, and are today ambassadors, ministers, businesswomen and entrepreneurs.

“I am so glad to see that Arab women are realising their potential, and having dealt with them in Qatar, Kuwait and Bahrain, it is reassuring to know how far they’ve come and how much of an impact they have made,” she says.

According to Chamont, acquiring a client’s trust is of paramount importance to HSBC Private Bank.

“Once a client trusts us wholeheartedly, he or she relaxes more and at HSBC Private Bank, we’ve been very lucky to have clients who really trust us and value our expertise in private and personal banking. They know we have their best interests at heart. We cannot disregard the importance of our clients knowing who they are dealing with, and our personal relationships with them are helped immeasurably by their reassurance of how long we’ve maintained a presence in this region. People know that we have a wealth of experience in banking and that we’re here to stay,” she says.

Not just interested in taking her clients' business today, but rather their business in the future, Chamont is keen on networking, working with them long term, and listening to what their needs are, as she believes a personal touch is absolutely essential.

“Having been in this part of the world more than 16 years, it is quite obvious that we are here in both the good and bad times. Some international banks pull out when the going gets tough, but we haven’t and we intend to stay put, which I believe shows HSBC Private Bank’s commitment and dedication not only to the region but to our clients in the Middle East,” she says.

Chamont, along with other dedicated HSBC male and female colleagues, always goes out of her way to service her clients, even when on holiday. “This comforts our clients and reassures them we are there to assist them in any way we can. They know we are available at all times, and are focused on their needs 100 percent. It is gratifying to know our clients value our honesty and straightforwardness, and I myself am unable to sleep at night unless I know all my clients are more than satisfied with what we are doing for them,” says Chamont, who believes that if a client is happy, he or she will “continue to be happy with us, bringing new business and clients as well”.

“If clients are pleased with you, they will recommend their family and friends, and honestly speaking, most of my new business is referred to by my existing, very satisfied clients. That’s really how it works,” she adds. Admitting to have been looked after by HSBC Private Bank, Chamont believes she would never have been able to sustain such a demanding and challenging job without the support of her British husband.

“He has been truly wonderful and a real model husband, supporting my career over the years. In fact, after we moved to Bahrain a few months ago I had to be in China for business for a few weeks and my husband fully supported me. Being married to such a patient man who stands by me – a successful businesswoman who travels quite a lot – is very gratifying indeed,” she says.

Prior to her current position, Chamont was Associate Director of HSBC Private Bank London, Upper Gulf team (Bahrain, Qatar, and Kuwait) for nearly 10 years. She joined HSBC Private Bank in 1987 and was Head of Ladies Banking in Qatar, then become the Head of Personal Banking till 1998.

She also has a degree in oriental languages (Farsi, Turkish and Hebrew) from Ain Shams University (Egypt), a BSc (Hon) ACIB from Manchester University (UK), a certificate of security and a diploma in mortgages from the Financial Services Authority in the UK.

Future plans include making HSBC Private Bank even more successful in the region, maintaining her relationships with existing clients and making sure they are still happy, as well as win new business.

“I’m delighted to be living and working in Bahrain, as I find people in this region are extremely warm, friendly and courteous. They are also very sophisticated indeed, and I look forward to meeting new clients and forging close ties with them. It’s a challenging job, but also quite exciting,” concludes Chamont.

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