Parting thoughts
Having spent over 20 years serving as in-house counsel in South Africa, HSBC Africa general counsel Henk Crouse has been one of the few constant presences within his company. As this chapter in his life is set to close in the near future, Crouse looks back on his time at HSBC, discloses his keys to success and looks to the future.
Henk Crouse was the first general counsel for HSBC in Africa, having taken the role upon the bank’s first entrance into the market. And now, nearly 20 years later, having been the most consistent presence in the South Africa office among multiple CEO arrivals and departures, Crouse is retiring.
Crouse entered the legal profession as most in-house counsel do: as a private practice lawyer. His first in-house job was as in-house counsel for Nedbank, a regional institution headquartered in South Africa. It was here that Crouse got the offer to serve as general counsel for HSBC, which, at the time, was preparing to open an office in South Africa.
