July saw a number of high-profile appointments and departures across the financial services sector, with noteworthy additions to Westpac, UBank and Suncorp.

Australia

Appointments

Westpac has appointed Scott Collary to the position of Chief Operating Officer (COO), following the creation of a new Group Operating Office. The Operating Office merges Westpac’s Technology and Operations functions. Michael Rowland has also been appointed Westpac’s Chief Financial Officer. Rowland formerly served at KPMG as a management consulting partner.

Westpac has also appointed Anthony Miller to the position of Chief Executive, Institutional Bank. Miller formerly served as Chief Executive Officer, Australia and New Zealand for Deutsche Bank. 

UBank has appointed Jon Donoghue to the position of Chief Information Officer. Donoghue previously served as Afterpay’s Chief Technology Officer, a role he held for more than three years.

Suncorp has appointed Clive van Horen to the position of Chief Executive Banking & Wealth. van Horen formerly served as CBA’s Executive General Manager Business Customer Solutions.

ING Australia has appointed Patrick Roesink to the position of Chief Risk Officer.

Cbus has appointed Justin Arter to the position of Chief Executive Officer. The appointment comes ahead of Cbus’s merger with Media Super.

Media Super has also appointed Elise van der Heyde to the position of Chief Operating Officer ahead of the merger.

AIA Australia has appointed Alison Mclean as Head of Behavioural Economics and Design. Mclean formerly served as Swiss Re’s Head of Behavioural Research.

Heritage Bank has appointed Charlton Nevis as Head of Business Banking.

AustralianSuper has appointed Tom Garcia as Head of Financial Crime, Security, and Resilience. Garcia formerly served as Head of Product at the super fund. 

Rabobank has appointed Stuart Whatling to lead the bank’s Tasmanian arm.

Australian Unity has appointed Christine Yates to the position of Chief Executive for Retail. Yates formerly served as Chief Customer Officer, private, wealth, and insurance for the NAB-owned Bank of New Zealand.

Paytech company InPayTech has appointed Brad Riley to the position of Chief Innovation Officer.

Fintech company Flexigroup has appointed Jason Murray to the position of Chief Financial Officer. Murray formerly served as NAB General Manager for Private Wealth, leaving the bank at the end of 2019. 

Board/Advisory

The Insurance Council of Australia Limited (ICA) has appointed Sue Houghton, General Manager Insurance, Westpac, as President of the Insurance Council and Chair of its Board. Houghton replaces Gary Dransfield, who stepped down on 1 July.

Greater Bank has appointed three new Directors to its board as non-Executive Directors: Donna Vinci, Catherine Robson, and Kylie Macfarlane. 

ME Bank has appointed Deborah Kiers as non-Executive Director.

P&N Bank has appointed Dr Brian Handley (Chair), Lorna MacGregor, Catriona Linney and Mark Glasson to its newly established Brand Advisory Council.

Departures

ME Bank has announced the resignation of chief executive Jamie McPhee after more than a decade at the helm.

The Financial Services Council has appointed four new board members: BlackRock Asset Management Head of Australasia Andrew Landman, UBS Australia Managing Director Bryce Doherty, AllianceBernstein Australia Chief Executive Jen Driscoll and First Sentier Investors ANZ Managing Director Elizabeth Hastilow. 

Australian Unity has announced the departure of Group Executive, Director, and Chief Executive, Matt Walsh, after more than two decades in the role.  

New Zealand

ASB Bank has appointed Ben Speedy to the position of General Manager, Rural. Speedy previously served as New Zealand Country Manager for Core Logic International. 

NZ’s Reserve Bank’s has appointed Ian Woolford as Head of Money and Cash and Steve Gordon as Head of a new Payment Services Department. The RBA said both new roles stem from growth and developments within the Reserve Bank’s Banking Department.