(3 March 2026 – Australia) Westpac will begin migrating business customers from St George and two other long-held brands later this month as the bank works to overhaul the ageing technology platforms that underpin much of its operations.
Confidential documents circulated to staff suggest approval for the plan, known as Project Aries, will be sought this week before an announcement later this month. The move initially will be limited to about 200 commercial customers at St George, Bank of Melbourne and BankSA, but is likely to be expanded with the reallocation of clients to Westpac’s main brand.
“The customer migration to the new brand will be slow and steady, with a strong focus on minimising disruption for our employees and customers,” the document circulated for consultation reads. “To acknowledge the shift in focus during migration … staff targets will be temporarily reduced. Focus shifts from customer acquisition to customer retention.”
The Australian Financial Review reported that Westpac was weighing the future of its St George and BankSA subsidiaries and considering moving big business banking customers to its main brand last year. Westpac has already ended St George’s private banking division, moving about 2000 clients.
Westpac has already flagged to investors that it intends to provide an update on a broader plan, known as Project Unite, which is working on simplifying a complicated web of technology platforms. Westpac acquired St George, then the country’s fifth-largest bank, in 2008. Despite almost two decades since the move, St George continues to operate on its own systems.