ABA Council appoints Ross McEwan as new Chair 

The Australian Banking Association Council has today appointed National Australia Bank Chief Executive Officer Ross McEwan as Chair of the ABA.  

At its Annual General Meeting, the ABA also confirmed Marnie Baker, CEO of Bendigo and Adelaide Bank, will remain in the role of Deputy Chair. 

Mr McEwan thanked outgoing Chair Peter King for his leadership of the industry during the past two years. 

“Peter has represented the ABA very well during what has been a critical time for our country and industry as we recovered from the COVID-19 pandemic.  

“Peter has also worked with the ABA and Government on the Scam-Safe Accord and the Government’s Payments Roadmap. Both are critical projects for customers and all banks” he said. 

Mr McEwan said priorities for the ABA included supporting Australians impacted by high inflation, protecting against the threat of cyber-attacks, scams and fraud and working with customers as they changed the way they accessed and used money. 

He said he remained optimistic about the economy and the ability of Australians to adapt. 

“We are and will see more customers facing hardship. Our job is to step forward and help them while continuing to support those in a position to grow and invest,” Mr McEwan said. 

ABA CEO Anna Bligh congratulated Ross on his appointment and said she looks forward to working with him during his two-year appointment. This phase will see the banking sector implement major changes to the payments system, deliver on the initiatives in the recently announced Scam-Safe Accord and support customers through uncertain economic times.  

“There is a major customer-led digital transition underway in the banking sector. I look forward to working with Ross as banks continue to build a banking sector for the future, embracing technology-enabled transformation while protecting customers from the risk of scams,” said Ms Bligh.  

Ms Bligh thanked Peter for his leadership during the past two years.  

“Peter’s leadership and expertise has been invaluable during the past two years as Australia emerged from the pandemic and the digital transition in banking gathered pace at light speed,” she said. 

ABA Chairs are appointed by the ABA Council for a period of two years. 

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