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In late September, - former President of the United States of America - was taken ill whilst on a plane. It was a tummy upset apparently and, as he is eighty-five, perhaps minor illnesses are considered more risky at that age so worth mentioning. However, virtually every report I read suggested it wasn't serious. Even President Obama, who spoke with him on the phone, said he "sounded great".

It made me wonder why this was news. I got a little suspicious when I heard that he was on a plane because he was in the middle of a book tour, promoting the journals from his time in office. Were folks not turning up to the in-store signings, or something? It's easy to be cynical isn't it.

The news bulletin reminded me of a discovery I made in the US some months back. Whilst watching , Jimmy's wife Rosalynn Carter appeared as a guest.

The former First Lady has been an advocate of mental health issues for nearly 40 years. Her work includes authoring two books, advising journalists on more accurate reporting of mental health issues, influencing equality legislation relating to mental health in the US and hosting a Symposium each year on the subject.

I was pleasantly surprised that she came over well, knowledgeable and held her own with comic presenter Jon Stewart who, admittedly, fawned a little. She admitted that, despite there being greater awareness now, the situation in the US relating to mental health hadn't improved much in her time as an advocate.

I'm overseas as I write this month's article, this time working in Hong Kong again. I've spoken in previous columns of my love for this place, one of the world's most exciting cities and renowned as a major centre of finance.

Way back in 1985 I was employed by Barclays Bank but, at the time, had a yearning to work for the Hong Kong & Shanghai Banking Corporation. It wasn't that I felt they were better, it was purely because their name seemed so much cooler. I admit it wasn't the most sound of career strategies.

In the 1980s they had a small UK presence but later they shortened their name to HSBC and took over the Midland Bank, creating a substantial branch network. HSBC survived the worst of the financial meltdown of 2008, partly, it has been suggested, because they've had a strong lineage of leadership.

In September that when their British born chief executive Michael Geoghegan - considered by many as a shoe-in for promotion to the newly vacant Chairman's role - .

What intrigued me was the hidden impact on how disability has affected him. I read a short biography which seemed to suggest he'd led a charmed life but then I came across this passage: "[Michael] admitted to friends that he was brought down to earth when his sister broke her neck in a riding accident a few years ago and by the challenges faced by his wife's disabled brother."

The link between senior banking executives and disability is not widely known but it exists. There's ; their chief executive, John Varley, announced his retirement as CEO. It's also reported he at HSBC.

Less well known about John Varley is his Presidency of the for which he has been a crucial and effective supporter.

Like buses, these things come along in threes. As well as HSBC and Barclays, the Lloyds Banking Group CEO, , has announced his retirement too.

He didn't get a lot of sympathy due to the UK tax payer having bailed the bank out after the messy purchase of HBOS. In addition his payoff was reported as possibly £14m plus a £190,000 a year pension.

During his reign, Lloyds' approach to disability has been innovative and they've shown leadership for many years, particularly with their staff. I just hope whoever replaces Eric doesn't dampen that approach.

This is a very leadership based article with Presidents and CEO's so I will lighten the mood by admitting a guilty pleasure.

Tucked away on doomed cable television Channel 1, formerly Virgin 1, is a US comedy drama called , about a chap working in a budget electrical store who is also a secret agent. The Wire it is not, but it has its own charm and lots of 'in' gags.

One recent episode saw our hero being put in a CIA asylum. Frustratingly no one believed anything he said because he'd been incorrectly labelled as insane.

His fellow detainees in the asylum were represented fairly ok even if it slipped in to cliche ... but the show never claimed to be a documentary. The detainees tried to come to Chuck's rescue, mounting a heroic battle which never really got started as they all got knocked out with tranquiliser guns.

A subtle touch was having the actor - the seemingly insane genius 'Doc' from the film Back to the Future - as the psychiatrist assessing him and quoting gems such as "It's a new science, only time will tell".

It's 25 years since was released and, coincidentally, 25 years since I started at Barclays. I've still not worked for HSBC but have now worked in Hong Kong. And I'm ok not to be working for HSBC, there's still time, especially if I can borrow Doc's DeLorean.