Two senior exits at NAB have prompted a leaner leadership structure, with digital banking responsibilities also shifting.
National Australia Bank (NAB) has reshaped its executive leadership team, combining technology, AI, transformation, and operations responsibilities following two senior departures.
The bank announced that group executive technology and enterprise operations Patrick Wright would leave the executive leadership team on 30 September before becoming special adviser to NAB Group CEO Andrew Irvine.
Wright will retire from NAB in the first half of 2027.
Group chief operating officer Les Matheson will also retire on 30 September.
NAB said it would reduce its group executive count by one, with their responsibilities absorbed by existing executives.
Pete Steel, currently group executive digital, data, and AI, will become group executive technology and AI, while group executive transformation Shane Conway will take on the expanded position of group executive transformation and operations.
The changes also bring NAB’s digital-only lender Ubank’s accountability under Ana Marinkovic, NAB’s group executive personal banking while concentrating the bank’s technology and AI agenda under Steel and its operational and transformation program under Conway.
Irvine said the bank recognised the two departing executives’ roles in strengthening NAB’s capability and customer offering.
“The organisation is extremely grateful for the significant contributions that Patrick and Les have made to modernising and strengthening NAB’s technology and to our customer focus, products and services,” he said.
On Wright’s near decade at NAB, Irvine said he had led a substantial technology overhaul while navigating a sharper focus on fraud and cyber threats.
“Patrick joined NAB in 2017 and oversaw the transformation of our technology ecosystem as well as managing through the rapid rise of cyber crime, online scams and fraud. Our technology is now far more reliable and secure and our customers safer thanks to Patrick and his team,” he said.
Irvine said Matheson, who joined NAB in 2021, had contributed to customer experience, digital capability, and Ubank’s growth.
“Les led a range of important activities across the bank since joining us in 2021. His international experience has been highly valuable as NAB has worked to improve the experiences our customers have. Les also supported our digital and data expansion and growth in our digital bank Ubank,” he said.
[Related: NAB appoints Anna Bligh to board]
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