About

Currently serving as HSBC’s country general counsel for Thailand, John Cordova is passionate about serving HSBC’s clients. He brings them a breadth of banking and financial solutions, helping them connect the dots through HSBC’s global networks and growing mix of digital capabilities. As general counsel, John is focused on enabling his key stakeholders at HSBC Thailand to execute their business strategies and goals quickly, without losing sight of HSBC’s best-in-class risk management frameworks. John collaborates with his regional business teams to explore partnership opportunities for HSBC, leveraging his experience in the Southeast Asian and new economies sectors.  
 
Before joining HSBC, John oversaw Grab’s fundraising, M&A, and venture capital activities from a legal and transaction management perspective. He led Grab’s legal team during its NASDAQ listing and closed the Grab/Uber Southeast Asia transaction. As deputy general counsel, John also mentored Grab’s ASEAN general counsels on regulatory, litigation, and operational matters. Additionally, John served as a director of a U.S. private equity firm that built global education and healthcare platforms.  
 
John started his career in private practice as a partner at Rajah & Tann Singapore, a leading Singapore-based regional law firm. He also practiced with two Magic Circle firms, Freshfields and Clifford Chance, across four jurisdictions: Bangkok, Hong Kong, London, and Singapore.   
 
John is qualified in England and Wales and was admitted to the Rolls of the Supreme Court in 2000. He read law at the University of Kent, Canterbury, earning an LLB with honours in Philosophy, and at Nottingham Law School. Additionally, he studied Mandarin at the Beijing Language and Cultural University, completed a Global Management Certificate with INSEAD, and a Leadership and Management course with Harvard Business School.