Two senior corporate affairs veterans from HSBC are aiming to disrupt the international financial marketing and communications sector with the launch of their new agency, Via. Specialising in strategic reputation advisory, news and content, Via will focus on the finance ecosystem - including banks, venture capital, private equity, insurers and asset managers - with cross-border communications and brand building in both Asia Pacific and the Middle East.

Tala Booker and Dan Fitzpatrick are leaving executive roles at HSBC to launch the venture, and the pair will have HSBC as their anchor client. Via has been appointed as lead global communications firm for building the profile of HSBC Innovation Banking, the bank's subsidiary brand launched in mid-June, focused on banking tech and new economy businesses. Their remit includes brand building, reputation and content across the UK, Hong Kong, Israel and the US.

Tala's roles include Managing Director and Global Head of Communications for Commercial Banking for HSBC Holdings, where she led the launch of HSBC Innovation Banking, as well as the bank's visibility programme in China, and designed several of its global campaigns for its Commercial Banking business. Dan was Head of Communications for HSBC Singapore and more recently, HSBC Australia. He led the set-up of the bank's global internationalism thematic, and built the bank's South and Southeast Asian thought leadership programme globally. He previously held several roles across other banking and insurance organisations.

Dan said he entered communications because he loved finding and telling the story: "Starting Via brings me closer to this passion, and I am thrilled to be doing this with Tala. We've been working together for 12 years. Whilst we bring different skill sets, we have always converged in our energy and grit for driving results for the businesses we support and our teams.

Tala added: "We feel the sharpness of our sector and geographic focus is a gap in the market. When you combine that with our cross-border communications experience, high-touch advisory and sector knowledge, Via brings a unique point of difference. We're here to disrupt the finance agency landscape with our unmatched dynamism and ability to bring commercial impact for our clients."

Find out more about Via here.