HSBC 2015 Annual Report Download - page 6

Our role in society
How we do business is as important as
what we do. We seek to build trusting
and lasting relationships with our many
stakeholders to generate value in society
and deliver long-term shareholder returns.
The scale of our operations makes this
all the more important. We serve more
than 47 million customers around the
world, ranging from individuals to the
largest of companies. We are committed
to conducting our business in a way
that delivers fair value to customers,
strengthens our communities and
helps ensure a properly functioning
financial system.
We employ more than a quarter of a
million people, and provide opportunities
for professional development and
personal growth. Our people represent
more than 150 nationalities and reflect
our diversity and reach. We value diversity
as essential to who we are and our ability
to fulfil our purpose.
We also recognise the significant role
that the financial system plays in tackling
challenges such as financial crime and
climate change. We are strengthening
our ability to safeguard customers and
ourselves against financial crime, and
believe this will be a source of long-term
advantage for our business. We are also
committed to helping enable a transition
to a low-carbon economy through our
business activities and our own operations.
For further details, see ‘How we do
business’ on page 34.
Our values
Our values define who we are as an
organisation and make us distinctive.
Open
We are open to different ideas and
cultures, and value diverse perspectives.
Connected
We are connected to our customers,
communities, regulators and each
other, caring about individuals and
their progress.
Dependable
We are dependable, standing firm
for what is right and delivering
on commitments.
150-year heritage
These values reflect the best aspects of
our 150-year heritage. They are critical to
fulfilling our purpose to help businesses
to thrive, economies to prosper and
people to realise their ambitions.
We are more than
250,000 employees
working around the
world to provide over
47 million customers
with a broad range of
banking products and
services to meet their
financial needs.
150 years
of helping customers
Who we are
‘ We seek to build trusting
and lasting relationships
with our many stakeholders’
Strategic Report
HSBC HOLDINGS PLC
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