One thing is certain: the environment is shifting. Regulatory expectations are continuing to evolve, geopolitical uncertainty remains high, and our ANZ 2030 strategy are all rightly challenging us to consider how we approach risk. Having worked across a variety of markets, including time leading risk at Santander UK, my focus is on keeping our thinking clear, our judgement sound, and our responses practical.
Risk is often described through the lens of control and oversight. In practice, its value lies in the quality of challenge and oversight it provides and therefore the quality of decision-making it enables. Done well, risk should help the business move forward with greater confidence – bringing clarity where there are competing priorities, supporting considered choices and keeping us focused on sustainable outcomes for our customers and the bank.
video
That takes strong collaboration, internally across ANZ, with our customers and our wider stakeholders. It also relies on a shared understanding that good risk management is not something that sits alongside what an organisation does but which is integral to running the business well.
A strong risk culture does not rely on statements of intent. It is reflected in day-to-day work, taking time to understand the risks we face, raising issues early and dealing with them in a timely way. ANZ is making encouraging progress, but there is more to do to embed that consistency across the organisation.
What matters now is building a disciplined, practical approach to risk, one that strengthens the bank’s resilience and supports better decisions over time.