Since being appointed to his position in April and after 60 days of listening to the stakeholders of ANZ's (ASX: ANZ) International and Institutional Banking (IIB) division, its new boss, Andrew Géczy, is making comprehensive changes to the management and structure of the division.
As part of the restructure, Mr Géczy has appointed Gilles Planté as deputy head of IIB whilst Europe, America, the Middle East and India boss Mark Robinson and IIB's chief administration officer Malcolm Perry will both leave the bank. Mr Géczy has been charged with driving ANZ towards its goal of becoming a "super-regional" player in Asia.
"I have now spent more than 60 days listening to more than 3000 people inside and outside ANZ, about how things are done here and what steps we need to take to improve our ability to serve customers." Mr Gréczy said in a memo to staff.
In coming years he could be a possible successor to group CEO Mike Smith, although he says the regional strategy is one of the reasons he joined the bank: "Our vision to be the best-connected, most respected bank in the region is one of the key reasons I joined the bank." ANZ, unlike others such as Westpac (ASX: WBC) or the Commonwealth Bank (ASX: CBA), is relying on the rise of Asian economies to be a massive driver of growth in coming years.
By 2017 the group hopes between 25% and 30% of revenue will come from the Asia Pacific, Europe and Americas business. It currently generates roughly 17% of operating income.
Foolish takeaway
Mr Géczy brings a wealth of experience from his previous job at Lloyds bank, and will be eager to perform after taking the reins from Alex Thursby. ANZ's Asian success depends on its ability to grow both organically and acquisitively. Under the watchful eye of some of the most sort after bankers worldwide, ANZ looks set to perform well for shareholders in coming years.
