AMP Bank announces key appointments, including a new head of its digital bank, ANZ seeks new data chief, and Tower chief to depart.
Executive
◼️ AMP Bank has appointed John Arnott to lead its new digital banking division.
Arnott, who commences his new role immediately, will assume the title of Director, Small Business and Personal Banking.
He joins AMP Bank from WooliesX, Woolworths Group’s e-commerce innovation arm, where he led Customer Growth for E-Commerce.
Arnott previously held senior leadership roles at Commonwealth Bank, including as Head of Retail Bank Marketing. Prior to this, he served as Industry lead for Financial Services at Facebook, and as ING’s Chief Customer Officer and Director of Products.
AMP Bank Group Executive Sean O’Malley recognised Arnott as “a highly experienced, proven leader”.
“His skills and experience are a perfect fit to lead the new digital division, having had success in transforming and growing B2C organisations, and leading customer, marketing, digital and product portfolios.”
Arnott said he was “thrilled to join the AMP Bank team as it enters an exciting new phase of growth”, noting the forthcoming launch of AMP’s SME-focused digital bank.
“One of the main reasons I joined AMP is because of its clear vision to support Australian small businesses, who are currently under-supported by the banking industry.
“I believe our new digital solution has the potential to make a meaningful difference to the success of both small businesses and personal banking customers.”
AMP confirmed its digital bank is on track for public launch in Q1 2025.
◼️ Separately, AMP has also announced two key appointments to its senior leadership, with Julie Slapp appointed to the newly created role of Director for Growth and Customer Solutions, and Cloe Reece announced as General Manager, Risk, Compliance and Policy.
Slapp in the new role will oversee customer solutions for the AMP’s Super and Investments arms.
“In this role, Julie will focus on driving total member growth as well as funds under management, contributing to the scale and growth of both the AMP Super and AMP Investments businesses,” the company wrote in a statement.
Slapp joins AMP from super-specialist fintech Flare, where she was General Manager, Wealth.
Prior to this, she held senior roles at Westpac and BT in strategy and product development.
Commenting on Reece’s appointment, AMP noted her “strong expertise in risk and compliance framework development, implementation and execution” over her 30-year career, including senior leadership roles at Australia’s big four banks.
Reece most recently served as the Chief Risk Officer for Clearview Limited.
“Cloe brings this wealth of experience to AMP, having led transformation and change initiatives across multiple organisations and delivered strategic priorities such as business acquisition and divestment.”
Both Slapp and Reece will report to AMP’s Group Executive for Superannuation and Investments, Melinda Howes.
“Cloe and Julie are two formidable appointments whose experience will be a great addition to the Super and Investments business and will provide strong support for our current teams driving our growth strategy as well as our risk and compliance frameworks,” Howes said.
◼️ ANZ is recruiting for a new Chief Data and Analytics Officer (CDAO) role to lead a new group-wide data and analytics function within the bank.
The creation of the CDAO role, as first reported by publisher iTnews, is part of a wider “organisational change” within the bank aimed at improving its operational performance.
The CDOA will report directly to ANZ’s Group Executive of Technology, Gerard Florian.
“The team will be responsible for data strategy and architecture along with shaping the use of artificial intelligence within the group,” ANZ said in a statement.
The bank is hoping to have its CDAO in place by March 2025.
◼️ The Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) has promoted Nazmiye (Naz) Guler to lead its Future Hub initiative.
Guler, in her new role, will report directly to RBA Governor, Michele Bullock.
Since joining the RBA in May 2024, Guler has served as Program Director of the Future Hub.
Guler boasts more than 30 years’ global experience leading organisational transformation programs across the financial services industry, focusing on innovation, customer experience and large-scale project delivery.
The Future Hub, established more than a year ago by the RBA, coordinates and governs the Reserve’s response to the two major reviews, including into payments infrastructure. Its remit covers the RBA’s transformation agenda in relation to monetary policy, governance, risk management and culture and leadership.
The RBA said Guler will lead the Future Hub team into its next phase as it “continues to strengthen our risk and governance frameworks and progressing our culture and leadership ambitions to be an open and dynamic central bank”.
◼️ Tower has announced the impending departure of Chief Executive Blair Turnbull.
Turnbull will step down as CEO on 12 February 2025 (following the Annual Shareholder Meeting), after more than five years with the NZ insurance giant.
Tower acknowledged Turnbull’s “considerable transformations” achieved during his time at the helm.
“Blair’s energy and focus has been on building a better, sustainable Tower powered by digital technology and data,” said Tower Chair Michael Stiassny.
“He has championed a culture that is diverse, talent-led and synonymous with innovation, while improving Tower’s business performance and delivering profitable growth in FY24.”
Stiassny added: “Blair leaves the business well positioned to enter its next growth phase. The Board wishes him well in his future endeavours.”
Tower said its board will commence a recruitment process for the firm’s new CEO.
◼️ Westpac has announced the retirement of Human Resources Group Executive Christine Parker.
Parker has served with Westpac for 17 years, joining the banking group in 2007 as General Manager, People at Westpac New Zealand. In 2011, she was appointed Group Executive, Human Resources, based in Westpac’s Sydney HQ.
Westpac Chief Executive Peter King hailed the outgoing Parker as “a valued mentor and leader for generations of Westpac employees”.
“She is a passionate advocate for advancing women in the workforce and has driven positive change for our female leaders both personally and professionally. Christine has also helped drive significant change to our culture,” King said.
Parker will remain in the role while a search is undertaken for a successor.
◼️ Zurich has appointed Dr Antony Vriens as Head of Health Services.
The role is responsible for leading the delivery of health services to customers and members across Zurich’s Retail and Group Life segments, supporting members’ “health journey across physical, mental, financial and social wellbeing”, the company said.
Vriens boasts more than 20 years’ experience in financial services across Australia, Asia Pacific and New Zealand. Most recently, he held the position of Vice President, Head of Insurance Technical Services at Manulife Asia, including responsibility for the Chief Underwriter, Chief Claims Manager and Chief Medical Officer and development of the Asia Health Strategy.
Prior to this, Dr Vriens held several positions at Suncorp, including Chief Medical Officer and Head of Claims in Australia, and Chief Operating Officer and General Manager of its Retail Life Business in New Zealand.
Vriens will commence in the new role on 11 November 2024.
Board
◼️ The Council of Australian Life Insurers (CALI) has announced the appointment of MLC Life Insurance CEO and Managing Director Kent Griffin as its next Co-Chair.
Griffin will share the role with his AIA Australia counterpart Damien Mu.
Griffin boasts 30 years’ corporate and consulting experience in financial services, both in Australia and internationally.
“Kent is well known in our industry as an accomplished and respected leader. He’s a wonderful fit for our Board and we’re thrilled with this appointment,” CALI chief executive Christine Cupitt said.
Griffin fills the position held by Brett Clark who has been appointed as CEO for Asia Pacific with TAL’s parent company, Dai-ichi Life, after almost a decade as TAL Group CEO and Managing Director.
Alongside Griffen, CALI has also appointed three new Directors:
- TAL Group CEO and Managing Director Fiona Macgregor
- Munich Re Australasia Life CEO Nicolas Carro
- Challenger Chief Executive of Life and Solutions Anton Kapel.
“We look forward to working with these impressive industry leaders to ensure that Australians of all walks of life view our industry as accessible, understandable and trusted,” Cupitt said.
CALI also announced the retirement of Pacific Life Re Managing Director of Protection, Asia Pacific and Global Strategy Tyson Johnston from his role after two years on the CALI Board.
The new additions to the CALI Board take the total number of directors to ten.
◼️ Westpac has announced the retirement of Nora Scheinkestel and the forthcoming departure of Audette Excel from its board.
Westpac chair Steven Gregg thanked Scheinkestel, who joined the board in 2021, for her contributions to the bank, including as Chair of its Remuneration Committee.
“Her leadership has helped the company navigate a challenging period and contributed significantly to Westpac’s turnaround.”
Gregg also recognised the outgoing Exel’s contributions as Chair of Westpac’s Risk Committee, overseeing the completion of the bank’s risk remediation CORE program.
◼️ NAB has appointed Warwick Hunt as a Director on its board, effective 2 December 2024.
Hunt currently serves as Chair of NAB subsidiary Bank of New Zealand (BNZ), appointed in June 2024 after nearly two years as a board member.
Hunt previously served as Managing Partner of PwC United Kingdom and Europe, Middle East and Africa until 2022. Prior to this, he led PwC New Zealand and PwC Middle East.
Hunt replaces former BNZ Chair, Doug McKay, who is standing down as a Director at the AGM, along with Anne Loveridge.
NAB chair Philip Chronican welcomed Hunt’s “extensive experience in the leadership and governance of large professional service organisations in various international locations”.
“He will complement the Board composition as a chartered accountant and has practiced across industries as diverse as banking, aviation, oil and gas, sovereign wealth and agriculture.”
Chronican also noted that Hunt’s nomination reflected the bank’s long-held practice of including New Zealand representation on the Board.
◼️ The Bank of Queensland (BOQ) has appointed Mary Waldron as Non-Executive Director, effective 11 November 2024.
Waldron is currently an Independent Non-Executive Director and Chair of the Risk, Compliance and Audit Committee at Zurich Financial Services Australia and subsidiaries and is an Independent, Non-Executive Director and Chair of the Audit & Finance Committee of Crown Melbourne Limited.
BOQ Chair Warwick Negus hailed Waldron’s “wealth of risk, audit, governance, financial, transformation and regulatory experience” over he more than 35 years career. She was formerly Partner at Arthur Andersen and Ernst & Young and served 14 years at PricewaterhouseCoopers including as Global Chief Risk Officer from 2016 to 2021.
BOQ also announced the forthcoming retirement of board members Bruce Carter and Jennifer Fagg. Negus acknowledged Carter’s “significant contribution to BOQ during his 10 and a half years on the Board”, most notably as Chair of the Risk Committee.
Negus also noted Fagg’s key contributions as a member of the People, Culture & Remuneration, Audit, Transformation & Technology, Nomination & Governance and Risk Committees.