ANZ New Zealand CEO Antonia Watson to retire

ANZ Bank New Zealand has announced that its CEO and ANZ Group (ASX:ANZ) executive, Antonia Watson, will retire at the conclusion of the 2026 financial year.

Watson, who joined the major lender in 2009 and stepped into the top executive roles in 2019, will wrap up her distinguished tenure on Sept. 30.

She is set to be succeeded by Ben Kelleher, the current chief risk officer for ANZ New Zealand.

Kelleher brings a wealth of institutional knowledge to the position, having served as chief risk officer for over two years, following a five-year stint as the managing director of personal banking.

His extensive leadership background within ANZ also spans the bank’s private banking and strategy teams.

Prior to his career at ANZ, Kelleher honed his expertise across various strategy, analyst, and project management roles in both New Zealand and the United Kingdom.

While the internal transition marks a seamless leadership handover for the banking group, Kelleher’s formal appointment remains subject to regulatory engagement and a non-objection from the Reserve Bank of New Zealand.