The departing CEO will not be replaced. Instead, her responsibilities will be divided among four heads of business in Hong Kong, mainland China, Taiwan and Macau.

Hong Kong/London-listed HSBC has seen one of its most senior executives leave, the second such departure in a matter of days, media reports said.

Helen Wong Pik-kuen, the lender's Greater China chief executive, has resigned and goes on leave from the weekend, the South China Morning Post said, citing an internal memo. WealthBriefingAsia has contacted the bank for comment and may update in due course.

The memo, written by Peter Wong Tung-shun, deputy chairman and chief executive of Asia-Pacific, reportedly said that Wong has decided to leave the bank to "pursue an external opportunity". She has been at the bank since 1992.

One of the most senior women in an industry often dominated by men, Helen Wong Pik-kuen had overseen 47,000 staff in the Greater China region.

Her move followed the surprise announcement earlier last week that HSBC group CEO John Flint has left after an 18-month stint in the post. His departure was announced on the same day the bank reported its second-quarter group results.

A spokesperson for the bank reportedly said that Wong will not be replaced; instead her roles will be shared by the four heads of Hong Kong, Macau, Taiwan and mainland China.