Westpac CIO steps aside

Beverley Head
Thursday, 24 November 2011 14:55

IT People - People

Westpac has announced that its high profile chief information officer Bob McKinnon is stepping back from his full time group executive role and will no longer be the bank's chief information officer. The news comes less than a fortnight after the bank took steps to axe 188 IT positions as part of a major shakeup.

Asked by iTWire whether the bank would install a new chief information officer, a Westpac spokeswoman said that it 'was still early days. There will be more announcements on that,' she said.

However she declined to say whether candidates for the role were currently being considered.

She however said that that there were no further changes in the IT senior management ranks at this stage. While Mr McKinnon has stepped aside from his full time group executive and CIO role he will remain in a full time position with the bank for the time being with the new title enterprise executive, Group Services.

Mr McKinnon will report to the newly installed group chief operating officer, John Arthur who now heads Group Services with responsibility for technology, banking operations, property services and legal.

Last month the ANZ initiated its own IT shakeup when it installed Alistair Currie as the bank's group chief operating officer with responsibility for technology, shared services and operations including ANZ's Bangalore, Manila and Chengdu hubs, property and major projects. CIO Anne Weatherston now reports to Mr Currie instead of the bank's CEO Mike Smith.

NAB's CIO Adam Bennett meanwhile reports to the bank's group executive for business services, Gavin Slater.