Executive team
Gail Kelly
HigherDipEd, BA, MBA with Distinction, HonDBus
Managing Director & Chief Executive Officer
Gail began her banking career in 1980, and by 2001 she had held various senior management roles in a broad range of areas including retail and commercial banking, strategy, marketing and human resources. Gail has spent the last ten years as Chief Executive Officer of two Australian banks, St.George Bank from 2002 to 2007 and Westpac from 1 February 2008 to date.
Gail holds a Bachelor of Arts degree and Higher Diploma of Education from Cape Town University, an MBA with Distinction from the University of Witwatersrand, and an Honorary Doctorate of Business from Charles Sturt University.
Gail is a non-executive director of the Business Council of Australia, the Australian Bankers’ Association and the Financial Markets Foundation for Children. She sits on the Global Board of Advisors at the US Council on Foreign Relations and is a member of the Sydney Cricket and Sports Ground Trust. Gail is also Care Australia’s Ambassador for Women’s Empowerment.
John Arthur
LLB (Hons).
Chief Operating Officer
John was appointed Chief Operating Officer on 24 November 2011 with responsibility for Group Services, which encompasses technology, banking operations, property, compliance, legal and secretariat services. He joined Westpac as Group Executive, Counsel & Secretariat on 1 December 2008. Before that appointment, John was Managing Director and CEO of Investa Property Group. Previously, John has been a partner at Freehills and Group General Counsel of Lend Lease Limited. He also served as Chairman of legal firm Gilbert + Tobin and has had a distinguished career as a legal partner, corporate executive and non-executive director.
Peter Clare
BCom, MBA.
Chief Executive Officer, Westpac New Zealand Limited
Peter was appointed Chief Executive Officer, Westpac New Zealand Limited, in April 2012. Prior to this appointment, Peter held the role of Chief Operating Officer, Australian Financial Services from November 2011. Before that appointment, Peter held the role of Group Executive, Product & Operations from 17 July 2008. Peter joined Westpac as Group Executive, Consumer Financial Services in March 2008, with responsibility for sales, service, third party consumer product relationships and product development for Westpac's consumer customers across Australia.
Prior to joining Westpac, Peter was Group Executive, Group Technology & Operations at St.George Bank Limited following five years as Group Executive, Strategy with St.George Bank Limited. Between 1997 and 2002, Peter worked for the Commonwealth Bank of Australia in a range of senior roles, covering strategy, merger programs, operations and performance improvement. He has also worked in management consultancy and accountancy roles.
Philip Coffey
BEc (Hons).
Chief Financial Officer
Philip was appointed Chief Financial Officer in December 2005, with responsibility for Westpac’s strategy, finance, tax, treasury and investor relations functions. He joined Westpac in 1996, and was appointed Group Executive, Westpac Institutional Bank in 2002.
He has extensive experience in financial markets, funds management and finance, firstly with the Reserve Bank of Australia, then Citicorp and AIDC Limited. He has held roles in the UK and New Zealand. Philip has an honours degree in economics and has completed the Executive Program at Stanford University Business School.
Brad Cooper
DipBM, MBA.
Chief Executive Officer, BT Financial Group
Brad was appointed Chief Executive Officer, BT Financial Group on 1 February 2010.
Brad initially joined Westpac in April 2007 as Chief Executive, Westpac New Zealand Limited and after successfully leading a change program in that market, moved to the role of Group Chief Transformation Officer leading the Westpac Group’s St.George merger implementation.
Prior to joining Westpac, Brad was Chairman of GE Capital Bank and CEO of GE Consumer Finance UK & Ireland. He drove GE's UK Six Sigma program and was certified as a Quality Leader (Black Belt) in December 2002. He was promoted to CEO of GE Consumer Finance UK in January 2003 and appointed Chairman of GE Capital Bank in April 2004.
George Frazis
B Eng (Hons), MBA (AGSM / Wharton).
Chief Executive Officer, St.George Banking Group
George was appointed Chief Executive Officer, St.George Banking Group in April 2012. Prior to this appointment, George joined the Westpac Group in March 2009 as Chief Executive, Westpac New Zealand Limited. George is highly experienced in the financial services industry. He was formerly Group Executive General Manager at National Australia Bank. Prior to that, George was a senior executive in Commonwealth Bank of Australia's Institutional Banking Division and has also been a partner with the Boston Consulting Group.
Brian Hartzer
Chief Executive, Australian Financial Services
Brian joined Westpac as Chief Executive, Australian Financial Services on 25 June 2012. Australian Financial Services comprises Westpac Retail & Business Banking, St.George Banking Group, and BT Financial Group.
Prior to joining Westpac, Brian spent three years in the UK as CEO for Retail, Wealth and Ulster Bank at the Royal Bank of Scotland Group. Prior to that, he spent ten years with ANZ in Australia in a variety of roles, including his final role as CEO, Australia and Global Segment Lead for Retail and Wealth. Before joining ANZ, Brian spent ten years as a financial services consultant in New York, San Francisco, and Melbourne.
Brian graduated from Princeton University with a degree in European History and is a Chartered Financial Analyst.
Christine Parker
BGDipBus (HRM)
Group Executive, Human Resources & Corporate Affairs
Christine was appointed Group Executive, Human Resources & Corporate Affairs on 1 October 2011, with responsibility for human resources strategy and management, including reward and recognition, safety, learning and development, careers and talent, employee relations and employment policy. She is also responsible for Corporate Affairs & Sustainability.
Prior to this appointment, she was Group General Manager, Human Resources, from March 2010, with responsibilities across the entire Westpac Group. Prior to that, Christine was General Manager, Human Resources, Westpac New Zealand Limited, when she joined Westpac in 2007.
Prior to joining Westpac, Christine was Group HR Director, Carter Holt Harvey, and from 1999 to 2004, she was Director of HR with Restaurant Brands New Zealand.
Greg Targett
BEc, DipEd, F Fin, CFTP.
Chief Risk Officer
Greg was appointed Chief Risk Officer on 2 July 2009. Greg joined Westpac as Deputy Chief Risk Officer on 1 December 2008. Prior to the merger between Westpac and St.George Bank Limited, Greg was Chief Risk Officer of St.George Bank Limited and was a member of the St.George Bank Limited Executive Management Committee from 2006. He joined St.George Bank Limited in May 2003 from National Australia Bank where he held the role of General Manager, Wholesale and Business Banking Credit. During his 23 year career with the National Australia Bank, Greg had a variety of senior roles in Australia and overseas in venture capital, planning and strategy, credit risk, corporate banking and retail banking.
Rob Whitfield
BCom, GradDipBanking, GradDipFin, AMP (Harvard)
Group Executive, Westpac Institutional Bank
Rob was appointed Group Executive, Westpac Institutional Bank in July 2009. He has responsibility for Westpac's global relationships with corporate, institutional and government clients, and core product offerings across financial and capital markets, transactional banking and working capital and payments. In addition, Rob has responsibility for Hastings Funds Management Limited and Westpac's structured finance, global treasury, Asia and Pacific Island businesses.
Rob joined Westpac as a graduate in 1986, where he gained broad financial markets experience. He joined Treasury in 1993 and was appointed Group Treasurer in 2000. In 2004, he became Chief Risk Officer and joined the Executive Team in December 2005. From April 2007, Rob undertook advisory work as a Group Executive for Westpac's CEO with responsibility for the oversight of the merger with St.George Bank Limited. He was appointed Group Executive, Risk Management in November 2008 prior to assuming his current role.
Jason Yetton
BCom, GDAppFin, TGMP (Harvard)
Group Executive, Westpac Retail & Business Banking
Jason was appointed Group Executive, Westpac Retail & Business Banking on 24 November 2011.
Prior to this appointment, he was General Manager, Retail and Regional Banking, Westpac Retail & Business Banking. Prior to that, Jason was General Manager, Retail Banking from 2008. During 2008, he was a member of the Group’s 2017 strategy team from 2010.
Prior to that role, Jason held a number of roles in BT Financial Group, including Head of Product, General Manager, Customer Solutions and CEO Commerce BT Unit Trust (based in Malaysia from 1997 to 1999). He joined BT as a graduate trainee in 1992.