HSBC Commercial Banking has appointed Ajay Sharma as regional head of Global Trade and Receivables Finance (GTRF), Asia-Pacific, effective January 1 2017.

Sharma is currently global co-head of International Subsidiary Banking (ISB), based in Hong Kong with responsibility for the Asia-Pacific.

He joined HSBC from Citi in 2014 and has built a strong ISB proposition in Asia that has delivered strong business growth for HSBC Commercial Banking. He is expected to bring new impetus to HSBC's GTRF franchise in Asia-Pacific.

Sharma succeeds Siew Meng Tan, whose appointment as regional head of private banking, Asia-Pacific, was previously announced.