Bank of Sydney has reshaped its executive banking structure as it prepares for its next growth phase.
Bank of Sydney has elevated Sam Tomaras and appointed returning executive Hisham Nakkash to newly defined retail and business banking leadership roles, respectively, following a review prompted by the planned retirement of long-serving chief banking officer Huw Bough.
Tomaras becomes the bank’s new chief retail banking officer, while Nakkash joins as chief business banking officer.
Both will enter the executive team and report directly to Bank of Sydney CEO Kieran McKenna, as the lender separates oversight of its retail and business banking operations.
The restructure comes after the bank’s core banking transformation, with the lender noting that the leadership changes reflected its effort to provide executive attention to two major growth areas.
Bank of Sydney said the new structure would sharpen focus across retail and business segments, strengthen customer relationship management, support faster decision making, and advance its broader growth plans.
McKenna said the appointments formed part of the bank’s effort to build on the operating foundations created through its transformation program.
“As we continue building on the strong foundations established through Bank of Sydney’s transformation journey, we remain focused on ensuring we have the right leadership team in place to support our customers, the community and to drive sustainable growth,” he said.
Retail, distribution remit
Tomaras will oversee the bank’s retail channels and customer propositions, including its branch network, premium banking, lending, deposits, and customer service centre.
His portfolio will also cover third-party distribution across commercial and residential lending, placing the bank’s intermediary channels under the new retail banking leadership remit.
Tomaras joined Bank of Sydney in February 2024 as head of business banking.
The lender said he had strengthened existing customer relationships and supported growth through acquiring new customers during that time.
Tomaras has more than two decades of banking and financial-services experience, which includes senior roles in business banking, home lending, premium banking, broker, and branch networks at St.George Bank, Westpac, GE Capital, and HSBC.
“Sam has already made a significant contribution to Bank of Sydney, strengthening customer relationships and driving growth across our Business Banking portfolio,” McKenna said.
Business banking focus
Nakkash, meanwhile, will lead the bank’s business banking portfolio, taking responsibility for SME and commercial banking, business relationship management, business development, and trade finance.
He joins from Westpac, where he spent five years in commercial banking.
Nakkash had previously spent nine years at Bank of Sydney in senior business banking positions, following earlier relationship-management roles with Bank of Beirut.
“Hisham is an accomplished banking leader with deep commercial banking expertise and a strong understanding of our organisation, having previously spent nine years with Bank of Sydney,” McKenna said.
He noted the appointments’ combined leadership experience, with an emphasis on customer outcomes.
“Together, they bring extensive leadership experience, a customer-first mindset and a shared commitment to helping our customers succeed,” he said.
[Related: Bank of Sydney bolsters leadership ranks]
Want to see more stories from trusted news sources?
Make The Adviser a preferred news source on Google.
Click here to add The Adviser as a preferred news source.
