ANZ appoints Sean Birchley Head of International and Institutional Banking in Queensland
ANZ today announced the appointment of Sean Birchley as Head of International and Institutional Banking Queensland, following the retirement of Russell Shields.
In addition to his new responsibilities, Mr Birchley will continue in his current capacity as General Manager, Corporate & Commercial Banking for Queensland and Northern Territory. He will report jointly to Aaron Ross, Head of International Banking Australia and Mark Whelan, Managing Director of Global Commercial Banking.
“Sean will lead our wholesale and business banking activities in both Queensland and the Northern Territory, in order to harness our product expertise and Asia-wide network for clients across the spectrum, including large institutions as well as small and medium sized enterprises,” said Mr Ross.
“Some of Queensland’s core industries have been impacted by the downturn in global commodity prices and challenging climatic conditions. However, we retain a positive outlook regarding long term Asian demand. Recent FTA agreements should positively impact Queensland commodity exports over time and foreign direct investment is also expected to gather pace in the state,” he continued.
Mr Birchley has more than 30 years experience in corporate and institutional banking across Australia, Hong Kong and London. Before joining ANZ in 2012, he was State Manager for Queensland at HSBC and Head of Corporate & Institutional Banking, Queensland at National Australia Bank.
Commenting on the retirement of Russell Shields, who served as ANZ’s State Chairman in Queensland since 2008, Mr Ross said: “We would like to thank Russell for his service and wish him all the best for his retirement. He has been an outstanding advocate for our business in Queensland and the Northern Territory, developing lasting banking relationships with senior members of the business community that see us well placed for the future.”