HSBC’s top global marketer Chris Clark is leaving the business, ending a 15-year tenure with the banking giant.

Clark – a former group director at Saatchi & Saatchi – joined HSBC in 2001 as head of brand strategy, and became group head of marketing in 2010.

He oversaw the adoption of HSBC’s famous ‘World’s Local Bank’ marketing strategy, which the bank then dropped in 2012 after the closure of some of its global operations.

Clark becomes the latest major marketing figure to depart from HSBC.

In December, Chris Carmichael left his role as global head of media after only nine months. Amanda Rendle, global head of marketing for commercial banking, global banking, and markets, left that same month.

It comes as HSBC gears up for a major round of redundancies, with thousands of roles being cut as part of the company’s cost-saving programme, and numerous senior exec positions being culled across its investment banking division, according to reports.

A HSBC spokesperson told M&M Global: “Chris Clark will be stepping down from his position at HSBC, but he will remain in the post until a replacement is found. There is nothing more to add this current moment in time.”

Speaking to M&M Global last year, Clark said that he envisaged a more digitally-focused marketing strategy, despite HSBC’s reputation for investing in OOH media, especially in airports.

“How do you give people a proper immersive experience around your brand and how do you also then have dialogue in places people want to talk to you, in social?” he said.