António Simões (executive)

António Pedro dos Santos Simões is a financial services executive.

He joined Legal & General as group chief executive in January 2024, succeeding Sir Nigel Wilson.

António joined Legal & General from Banco Santander, where he was the regional manager for Europe.

Simões was at HSBC for 13 years where he led a number of businesses both in London and Hong Kong.

He was previously a partner at McKinsey and an associate at Goldman Sachs.

António Simões was born in Lisbon in 1975.

He graduated from Nova School of Business & Economics

in Lisbon.

He received several awards, including the award for top student in his graduating class.

He holds a master’s degree in business administration from Columbia University.

During his studies he was a teaching assistant for managerial economics and capital markets.

He graduated with honours and is a member of Beta Gamma Sigma honour society.

In 1997, Simões joined McKinsey & Company as a business analyst in their Iberian office.

In the fall of 2000, as part of the MBA programme, he spent a semester at the Bocconi University in Milan.

Simões attended the Global Leadership and Public Policy program at Harvard Kennedy School.

The program is designed by Harvard's Kennedy School of Government and the World Economic Forum for Young Global Leaders.

In 2000, he worked at Goldman Sachs in London, as an associate serving financial institutions in Investment Banking.

He returned to McKinsey as an associate in their London office where he was later elected a partner.

During his career at McKinsey, he worked across several geographies serving mainly financial services client.

His focus included Strategy and Risk Management, with contributions to McKinsey Quarterly and other publications.

Simões joined HSBC in 2007 to lead Group Strategy and Mergers & Acquisitions activities reporting to Stephen Green, then Group Chairman of HSBC holdings.

In October 2009 he assumed responsibilities also for Planning, reporting to the Group CEO, Michael Geoghegan relocating to Hong Kong for two years.

In 2009, he was appointed a Young Global Leader of the World Economic Forum and is a regular delegate at the annual meeting in Davos.

In an interview to his Alma mater he said 'I took 58 long-haul flights in 2011 alone...I don't get the work life balance right all the time'.

Simões was appointed a Group General Manager in 2011 and became also Chief of Staff to the Group CEO, Stuart Gulliver.

In January 2012, he relocated back to London and was appointed European head of Retail Banking and Wealth Management (RBWM), including responsibility for Asset Management and Insurance.

On 1 November 2012, he was appointed CEO of HSBC in the UK and deputy chief executive, of HSBC Bank plc, the Group's principal UK and continental European subsidiary.

He is a vocal campaigner on youth unemployment issues and has been involved with the Prince’s Trust since 2012.

In 2012, he was invited to be a founding member of Conselho da Diáspora Portuguesa (World Portuguese Network), a group of Portuguese people living abroad advising the Portuguese presidency.

He was a member of the Practitioner Panel of the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA, conduct regulator for UK financial services industry) from July 2013 and was chair of the panel from August 2015 until August 2017.

He was member of the Practitioner Panel of the Prudential Regulations Authority (PRA, prudential regulator for UK financial services industry) in November 2013.

Simões led a review of the UK financial services trade association in the UK on behalf of ten banking service providers.

On 1 September 2015, Simões was appointed the chief executive of HSBC Bank plc and chief executive of Europe, with responsibility for the UK and Continental Europe.

When he assumed that position he also joined the Group Management Board, HSBC's Group Executive Committee.

In April 2015, he joined the Banking Standards Board, created to promote high ethical and behavioral standards in the Banking industry, as practitioner member.

He was a Director of HSBC Bank plc until September 2018 and was also a Director of the France (until September 2018) and Turkish subsidiary boards (until September 2014) of HSBC Bank plc.

He became a Trustee of Prince’s Trust International in 2018.

In September 2018, HSBC announced the appointment of Simões as chief executive, global private banking, with effect from 1 January 2019.

In 2020 he joined Banco Santander as regional manager for Europe; he was made chief executive of Santander Spain in 2021.

Simões took up post as group chief executive at Legal & General on 1 January 2024 and joined the Board of Legal & General Group plc on appointment.