(6 December 2016 – New Zealand) New Zealand's largest bank, ASB has announced the appointment of Russell Jones as executive general manager, retail, and business banking.
He will commence his new role in February 2017.
Jones is currently executive general manager – technology & innovation at ASB, a role he has been holding for the past three and a half years. He is also a director at Payments NZ and healthAlliance.
Prior to his current role, he had been CIO for a year at the bank when he was promoted to chief operations officer with responsibility for technology, then to executive GM technology and innovation. Jones experience previous to his time with ASB includes more than 10 years in IT focussed manufacturing positions including IT director at International Paper in the US, and CIO for Carter Holt Harvey.
Jones has been quoted as saying: “We really need people to recognise that we are in a fast moving industry and that technologies come and go; new tools, new suppliers and new ways of things come out all the time…And in that environment, why wouldn't you rather move around, and develop and grow?”
Speaking about conducting business in the digital age, Jones added: “The ICT team at ASB Bank is driven to think differently – to see the organisation as more than a bank, and as a technology company that is licensed and trusted to provide financial services.”