ANZ Bank gives technology direct line into CEO

ANZ Bank will elevate its technology division and give chief information officer Scott Collary a direct reporting line into CEO Shayne Elliott after its chief operating officer departs later this year.

The bank today announced Alistair Currie, who has held responsibility for technology and other corporate functions since being appointed into the COO role in 2011, was stepping down for a new banking gig overseas.

As a result it has decided to rejig its operating structure and promote the technology division to reflect its "strategic role" supporting ANZ's digital banking operations.

The bank lured former Google Australia chief Maile Carnegie to become its inaugural group executive of digital banking earlier this year.

She reports directly into Elliott and has been tasked with uniting the bank's disparate digital efforts under one function.

The bank also today handed responsibility for its wholesale digital strategy and payments transformation to general manager of transformation projects Nigel Dobson, who will report into Carnegie.

Executive responsibility for enterprise services - which runs ANZ's HR, risk and finance functions - has been moved to deputy CEO Graham Hodges. Head of enterprise services Craig Sims will continue to look after the function with the new title of group general manager of operations and services, reporting into Hodges.

Elliott said the changes to the operating model would "allow us to build on the significant progress that has been made in recent years in technology, operations and shared services".

He said Currie's management of technology and operations had "significantly improved service quality" for customers and delivered "consistent productivity gains".

"Alistair also played a key role in setting the early direction for our digital transformation," Elliott said in a statement.