Silicon Valley Bank's former CEO reflects on the bank's challenges in China.
Illustration by Luis Grañena
In April 2011, I had just turned 63 and was supposed to retire after a 30-year career at Silicon Valley Bank (SVB), the final decade of which was spent as CEO. Somehow, things turned out a little differently.
Rather than pursue hobbies or get involved with nonprofits, my wife and I moved to China. SVB’s Board had asked me to found a brand-new bank: the Shanghai Pudong Development Silicon Valley Bank (SPD SVB), a joint venture between SVB and the state-owned Shanghai Pudong Development Bank.
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