THE FINTECH INTERVIEW
While the payments industry has spent years talking about real-time transformation, HSBC’ s Regional Head of North America Global Payment Solutions Tom Halpin says the shift is now much more than a promise. What was once framed as the next big innovation is rapidly becoming the operating standard, forcing corporates to rethink how they manage liquidity, treasury and cross-border money movement.
Tom has spent more than 25 years in transaction banking and payments and has watched that evolution from the inside. Since joining HSBC in 2007, he has worked with clients navigating the move from batch-based processing to always-on payments, helping them adapt to a landscape where speed, visibility and control are no longer optional.
That vantage point has given Tom a clear view of how expectations are changing. Executives increasingly want to move funds whenever business requires, while treasurers are under pressure to make faster decisions with richer data and tighter liquidity buffers.
“ Our business helps clients move money efficiently, manage liquidity intelligently and navigate an increasingly digital payments landscape,” Tom explains.“ Together with a strong team across product, sales, service and operations, we support clients across domestic and cross-border markets and help solve treasury and working capital challenges.
“Business never sleeps – therefore, payment and liquidity capabilities must be awake 24 / 7”
Tom Halpin Regional Head of North America Global Payment Solutions HSBC
“ What excites me most is the pace of change. Payments are evolving through real-time rails, richer data and capabilities such as tokenised deposits and AI-driven payment intelligence. Payments are becoming more strategic and more integrated giving clients better visibility, faster access to funds and smarter ways to run their business.”
HSBC’ s global role HSBC occupies a distinctive position in the payments landscape because it combines scale, reach and infrastructure with a growing focus on innovation. For Tom, that matters because multinational corporations need consistency across markets just as much as they need speed.
“ HSBC plays a unique role in the market because we combine global scale with payments innovation,” Tom says.“ We operate across many of the world’ s most important trade and treasury corridors, which allows
24 August 2026