ANZ has strengthened its position as a leader in trade and investment flows across the region with the appointment of Simon Birmingham as Head of Asia Pacific Engagement and Chairman, South Australia.
The bank said Birmingham would work with customers, governments and investors across the Asia Pacific to help expand and strengthen ANZ’s trade relationships and capital flows. He will also work on the bank’s agenda across South Australia.
Birmingham has spent almost two decades in parliament as Senator for South Australia, including time as Australia’s Minister for Trade, Tourism and Investment, and Minister for Finance. He currently serves as Shadow Minister for Foreign Affairs, and announced his retirement from the Senate in November.
ANZ CEO Shayne Elliott said Birmingham’s significant experience and knowledge of trade in Asia Pacific would help ANZ and its customers to create opportunities in the region.
“With Mr Birmingham’s appointment, we look forward to helping our customers access new markets, or expand and deepen their existing relationships across the 29 economies in which we operate,” Elliott said.
Birmingham will join ANZ in February 2025, where he will report to Group Executive, Institutional, Mark Whelan, and work closely with Elliott.
In February, ANZ was named number one for overall relationship quality in Asia by the 2023 Coalition Greenwich Asian Large Corporate Banking study. The bank has taken out the award every year since 2017.
