Who was appointed as the new Chairman of HSBC, the banking and financial services giant headquartered in London?

Introduction / Context:
This question is about a significant corporate appointment in the global banking sector. HSBC is one of the largest banking and financial services organisations in the world. Knowing who took over as its new Chairman is important for candidates preparing for banking exams, management entrance tests, and general awareness sections of competitive examinations.

Given Data / Assumptions:

• The company in question is HSBC, a major international bank.
• The question asks for the name of the newly appointed Chairman.
• Four names are given: Douglas Flint, Stuart Gulliver, Mark Tucker, and Victor Bernard.
• Candidates are expected to recall this appointment from recent business news.

Concept / Approach:
The appointment refers to the time when Mark Tucker, who previously headed Prudential, was chosen as the new Chairman of HSBC Holdings. Douglas Flint was the outgoing Chairman, and Stuart Gulliver served as the Chief Executive Officer. The approach is to match the correct role with the correct person using knowledge of top level corporate leadership changes.

Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Recall that Douglas Flint had been serving as chairman of HSBC before the leadership change.Step 2: Remember that HSBC announced Mark Tucker, an experienced insurance and banking executive, as the incoming Chairman.Step 3: Note that Stuart Gulliver was the then Chief Executive, not the new Chairman.Step 4: Select Mark Tucker as the correct option from the list.

Verification / Alternative check:
You can verify this by matching the roles: Flint as outgoing chairman, Gulliver as CEO, and Mark Tucker as the external appointee brought in to lead the board. This pattern is widely reported in business news and financial media.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:
Option A: Douglas Flint previously held the Chairman role but was not the new appointee in the news item referred to here.
Option B: Stuart Gulliver was serving as Chief Executive Officer, not as the new Chairman.
Option D: Victor Bernard is not associated with this specific HSBC chairman appointment.

Common Pitfalls:
Candidates sometimes confuse senior leadership titles such as chairman and chief executive, especially when both positions change around the same time. Another pitfall is to choose a familiar name like Douglas Flint without noting that the question asks for the new chairman.

Final Answer:
The new Chairman of HSBC referred to in the question was Mark Tucker.