ME appoints new data chief

ME has appointed ANZ Bank’s former head of enterprise information architecture, Annie South, to the new role of GM, data in a move that reflects the strategic value of data at the industry super fund-owned bank.

ME CIO, Mark Gay, said in a statement that data is a strategic asset that needs to be given prominence and consideration in its own right rather than being subsumed within other technology functions.

“Data analysis has always been in use at ME for the purpose of managing risk, productivity and marketing, but new data sets are emerging and new ways of using existing data sets that can provide valuable advantages to businesses, particularly around customer relationships and behavior,” Gay said.

South said she is looking forward to building on ME’s capabilities in data management and analysis, and leveraging opportunities with the bank’s 29 super fund shareholders to improve engagement with customers and members.

She has 15 years’ information management experience with complex information environments including NAB and JP Morgan in the UK and ANZ, and Telstra in Australia.

ME restructured its IT team in July less than a month after announcing it had completed its five-year technology rebuild. The bank created five new roles to support its post-technology transformation phase.

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