Bank of Sydney fills chief risk officer spot

The Bank of Sydney has appointed Kieran McKenna as its new chief risk officer as the organisation works through its "strategic enhancements."

The bank made the announcement on Tuesday stating “McKenna is a deeply experienced risk leader with over 30 years’ within the Australian financial services sector.”

In the statement McKenna said, “I am excited to join Bank of Sydney, and look forward to working with the team to further strengthen the risk culture and functions of the bank.”

The Bank of Sydney’s CEO, Melos Sulicich, said, “I am excited to welcome Kieran to Bank of Sydney."

“Kieran's extensive experience in risk management will bring great strength to the Bank, positioning us for greater success in navigating the complexities in today’s dynamic financial environment,” Sulicich said.

McKenna steps over from the Australian Payments Networks (AusPayNet) where he was an alternate director for close to six years.

During this time, he also held the CRO role at Cuscal and has held various senior across CBA, Westpac and St George Bank plus ASX.

McKenna’s appointments follow as the bank made “strategic enhancements” to its organisational structure towards the end of last year, “marking a decisive leap towards elevated customer experiences, operational efficiency and forward-looking strategies”. 

At the time, The Bank of Sydney made multiple changes to its executive team which Sulicich said “epitomise our unwavering dedication to evolving into a pioneering challenger bank renowned for delivering unparalleled service.”

Under the decision Stella Grilis took on role of acting chief risk officer, reporting directly to the CEO.