BANKING is a people business, so it may come as no surprise that I like talking to people.

As I travel, drivers are a good source of conversation, and they invariably have a finger on the pulse of what's happening around them.

While I have access to a lot of economic and client data across the 67 markets where HSBC operates, quick conversations like these often provide me with a good (and often very accurate) read of what's going on in a certain region or market.