HSBC’s Global Payment Solutions division lacked a consistent product operating model to manage delivery across 500 teams and a $450m operating budget. Each region and function had developed its own processes, creating fragmented delivery, unclear ownership, and unpredictable outcomes. Senior leadership had limited visibility into progress, dependencies, or risks, hindering their ability to prioritise investments and drive value at scale.

James was brought in as Delivery Lead to design a scalable product operating model that could unify ways of working across global teams, improve visibility, and enable strategic alignment. The goal was to create a framework that could be piloted, refined, and ultimately rolled out globally in 2026, focusing on roles and responsibilities.

James co-led the design, piloting, and refinement of the new product operating model with select GPS teams alongside Cap Gemini. This included:

• Defining standardised roles, governance, and reporting structures.

• Implementing agile practices tailored for product delivery at scale.

• Introducing metrics and dashboards to track progress, dependencies, and value delivery.

Throughout the pilot phase, we worked closely with teams to test assumptions, remove blockers, and iterate the model based on real-world feedback. James also coordinated with executive stakeholders to ensure alignment with strategic priorities and readiness for global adoption.

The pilots validated the product operating model, demonstrating improved delivery predictability, clear ownership, and faster decision-making. Blockers and dependencies were surfaced and resolved earlier, reducing risk and wasted effort. The framework is now fully designed, tested, and ready for rollout across all GPS teams in 2026, providing HSBC with a repeatable blueprint for product-centric delivery at scale and ensuring the organisation can maximise the value of its $450m portfolio.