ANZ announces senior appointments, including hires from RBS

24 August 2009
By Sameera Anand

ANZ makes senior appointments to reflect its increased footprint after buying certain wealth and commercial businesses from RBS.

The Australia and New Zealand Banking Group (ANZ) on Friday announced a slew of senior appointments, following its takeover of part of the Royal Bank of Scotland's wealth and commercial business in Asia earlier this month. The appointments are a combination of internal promotions within ANZ and appointments from RBS and reflect the fact that the Australian bank has significantly expanded its footprint with the acquisition of the RBS businesses.

Alistair Bulloch has been promoted to deputy chief executive officer for Asia-Pacific, Europe and America from his current position as CEO for Northeast Asia. Bulloch will be based in Hong Kong and will play a leading role in managing ANZ's relationships with governments, regulators, partners and clients. Bulloch's appointment will become effective early 2010.

Gilles Plante has been appointed CEO for Northeast Asia, Europe and America based in Hong Kong. Plante is currently managing director of global markets, based in Sydney. Plante too will start his new role in early 2010 when he will take over from Bulloch.

Craig Sims has been appointed head of integration for the RBS acquisition. He will relocate to Singapore from Melbourne where he is currently CEO Pacific, which includes a network of 67 branches in 12 Pacific countries: American Samoa, Cook Islands, Fiji, Guam, Kiribati, New Caledonia, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tonga, Timor Leste and Vanuatu. Sims was earlier managing director of retail banking for The National Bank of New Zealand, one of ANZ's two core brands operating in New Zealand. Sims is a career banker who joined ANZ in 2003.

Michael Rowland will take over Sims' role as CEO Pacific. Rowland is currently chief financial officer and general manager of strategy and marketing in ANZ's institutional division.

ANZ has also hired Wendy Lim as managing director, retail banking and wealth products for Asia-Pacific. Lim was head of retail banking for Greater China and Southeast Asia at RBS. She has more than 18 years of consumer marketing and business experience in Asia. RBS hired Lim from the Hong Kong and Shanghai Banking Corporation in 2008 to grow its retail banking businesses in Singapore, Malaysia and Indonesia. In her new job, Lim will be based in Singapore.

Last year, ANZ appointed Nina Aguas as managing director, retail Asia. Aguas joined from Citi, where she had 25 years of experience, and started at ANZ in January. Aguas will continue in this role until Lim joins, said sources close to the development. A new role for Aguas will be announced in due course.

Jos Dijsselhof, who is also from RBS, has been appointed general manager, operations for Asia-Pacific, Europe and America, based in Singapore. Dijsselhof is currently head of group operations at RBS. ANZ's former general manager of operations, Ross Foden, will take on the role of chief operations officer for ANZ's strategic partner in Malaysia, AmBank.

Bulloch, Plante, Sims, Rowland, Lim and Dijsselhof will all report to Alex Thursby, ANZ's CEO for Asia-Pacific, Europe and America (APEA), who is based in Melbourne.

Thursby joined ANZ in 2007 as CEO of APEA after 20 years with Standard Chartered Bank. He was group head of corporate and institutional client relationships for Standard Chartered's wholesale bank, based in Singapore, when he was poached by ANZ. Since his hire, group strategy and marketing have also been added to Thursby's portfolio. Thursby will continue to be based in Melbourne, said sources.

ANZ has also made two other senior-level hires from RBS.

Sandeep Ghosh will join as managing director, commercial for Asia-Pacific. Ghosh is currently head of commercial banking, Asia at RBS. He will be based in Hong Kong and will build the commercial banking segment for ANZ. Ghosh, who joined RBS from Citi in 2008, will report to Mark Whelan. Whelan is currently managing director, institutional for Asia-Pacific, Europe and America and will now add the commercial segment to his responsibilities.

Terry King has been appointed CEO of Taiwan. He is currently Taiwan country head at RBS, a role he has held since 2001.

The appointments of Lim, Dijsselhof, Ghosh and King are future appointments, subject to regulatory approvals where required. Their start dates are yet to be confirmed. On August 4, ANZ announced it would acquire RBS's retail, wealth and commercial businesses in Taiwan, Singapore, Indonesia and Hong Kong and the institutional businesses in Taiwan, the Philippines and Vietnam for a total outlay of $550 million. Some staff associated with the businesses ANZ is taking over will be part of the deal, however the appointments announced on Friday are among the first of the discretionary hires from RBS which ANZ has announced, said sources.

ANZ also announced on Friday that it has created a new Indochina sub-region to encompass Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos. Thuy Dam who is currently CEO for Vietnam will take on the role of CEO Indochina.

"We are appointing several experienced Asian bankers from RBS along with additional talented ANZ leaders to create the leadership teams that will take our business through the next phase of growth in Asia-Pacific," said Thursby in a written statement, commenting on the appointments. "The acquisition of these RBS businesses is a further stepping stone in our super-regional strategy."