Westpac names first female boss for BankSA

By MarkSchliebs

For the first time in the bank’s 162-year history, a female has been appointed to the top job at BankSA.

In yet another sign of the shattering of the glass ceiling, Westpac chief Gail Kelly — who became the first female chief executive of a major bank in 2002 — has promoted Jane Kittel to managing director of BankSA.

While several female tellers at the ground-floor branch of the bank’s Adelaide headquarters watched on, Ms Kittel said she had never felt that her gender influenced her position during her 15 years at Westpac.

“Personally, I’ve found my colleagues to be very supportive, regardless if they’re male or female,” Ms Kittel said yesterday.

“For me, I always focus on doing the job and doing it to the best of my ability.”

Mrs Kelly said Ms Kittel was one of the bank’s most experienced general managers and had successfully managed the Pacific region through the “volatile” past few years.

In that role, Ms Kittel managed $1.9 billion in deposits and oversaw 1200 staff in several countries, including Fiji, Papua New Guinea and the Solomon Islands.

“I am confident that BankSA under her leadership will continue to build on its outstanding position in the South Australian market,” Mrs Kelly said.

Outgoing chief Paul Chapman, who will become chief executive at St George Bank, said Ms Kittel’s ability to run a business during coups, tsunamis and unpredictable governments proved that she was up for the job.

“From my perspective, this is just an absolutely magnificent appointment,” Mr Chapman said.

“She is also a born and bred South Australian who has a deep understanding of the local market and the power of the BankSA brand.”

Ms Kittel said one of her priorities was to balance new technologies — particularly developments in mobile phone banking — while maintaining good customer service.

“I think the traditional work that we do with our customers is the heart and soul of banking, and for me that needs to continue,” she said.

Before taking the top job at the group’s Pacific businesses, Ms Kittel was Westpac’s head of corporate services and general manager for sourcing. She will officially become BankSA managing director on October 1.

The bank itself has been through some volatile times over the past 20 years, with its previous incarnation collapsing and leading to the resignation of a state premier.

In the 1980s, when known as the State Bank of South Australia, it was the fastest-growing lender in the country. But in 1991, after revealing debts of $3.1bn, the bank was bailed out by the SA government.

The following year, state premier John Bannon resigned after testifying before a royal commission into the collapse.

Article from The Australian, September 8, 2010.