Westpac has announced the appointment of Shane Smith as its new Chief Executive for Fiji.
“I’m honoured and humbled by the opportunity to lead this great business and build on the legacy of my predecessors. My priorities are connecting with our people, stakeholders and customers who have had it tough for the best part of two years. The current situation makes it difficult but I’m really looking forward to getting on the road, listening and ensuring we fulfil our obligations to our customers and the community at large,” Smith said in a statement released by Westpac this morning.
“Shane is a highly respected Fijian banker who has risen up the ranks and made a significant contribution to the Westpac Group, and to banking in the Pacific region,” said Damien MacRae, Westpac’s Managing Director for Westpac Pacific and Specialist Finance.
He has 37 years’ experience in the sector, starting straight from school as a customer service officer for Westpac Fiji in Suva. Since then he has worked in IT, operations and in executive roles for the group. Between 2006 and 2012, he served as the General Manager for Westpac in Samoa and Vanuatu. He has also worked with Westpac Australia in the areas of commercial banking and operations, and as part of the Westpac Pacific head office.
Smith takes over from Kip Hanna, who recently finished his term with Westpac. “I thank Kip for his contribution to Westpac’s Pacific businesses, and in particular for his support of our Westpac Fiji teams and customers through the pandemic,” Mr MacRae said.
Last year Papua New Guinea’s Kina bank sought to buy Westpac’s PNG and Fiji operations, a bid that was rejected by Papua New Guinea’s Independent Consumer and Competition Commission.
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