A former US anti-terrorism official has been hired by HSBC as the bank’s newly-titled chief legal officer.

Stuart Levey, 48, served as the first undersecretary for terrorism and financial intelligence within the US Department of the Treasury from 2004 to 2011, spanning the presidencies of George Bush and Barack Obama. According to media reports, he was instrumental in conceiving sanctions campaigns and investigating the illicit roles of North Korea and Iran in the international financial system.