Sir William "Willie" Purves, CBE, DSO (Chinese: 浦偉士, born 27 December 1931) was a Scottish banker until his retirement in 1998.
He was the first Group Chairman of HSBC Holdings following the creation of a holding company to act as parent to The Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation and the Midland Bank following the former's acquisition of Midland in 1992.
[4] He rejoined banking in 1954 and moved to Hong Kong to join The Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation, where he remained for the rest of his working life.
In 1986, he became Chairman and CEO of The Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation, and was appointed Chairman in 1991 prior to the formation of HSBC Holdings, and as such oversaw the purchase and integration of Midland Bank.
[5] Knighted in 1993 and awarded the Grand Bauhinia Medal by Hong Kong in 1999, he now lives in London and Oxfordshire.