Williams appointed chief risk officer at ANZ

ANZ has announced the appointment of Nigel Williams as chief risk officer (CRO) and member of the ANZ management board.

Reporting to chief executive officer Mike Smith, Williams’ appointment is subject to regulatory approval and becomes effective once current CRO Chris Page retires.

Since 2008, Williams has been ANZ managing director, institutional Australia, having previously held the role of managing director, institutional, corporate and commercial banking of ANZ New Zealand. He first joined ANZ in 2004 following the acquisition of The National Bank of New Zealand, where he held a number of credit, markets, treasury and operational roles with the Lloyds TSB Group.

Page is set to retire on 16 December 2011 but will remain available to provide specialist advice to ANZ. It is intended that he will represent ANZ on the boards of a number of ANZ’s partnership banks in Asia, the company said.

Commenting on the appointment, Smith said that Williams is a career banker with international experience and a strong track record in credit and markets risk.

Smith praised Page for transforming ANZ’s risk function and establishing the risk foundation to support ANZ’s super regional strategy.