(28 March 2007 – Australia) Australian Bankers’ Association chief executive David Bell has been named chairman of the International Banking Federation (IBFed).Bell replaces the retiring Ian Mullen, who is also chief executive of the British Bankers’ Association.
The decision was announced at a board meeting held in Sydney, marking the third anniversary of the IBFed.
Bell said under Mullen’s tenure, special attention had been paid to regulatory developments in corporate governance, international accounting standards, prudential supervision and cybercrime.
“Banking operations today are often affected, directly or indirectly, by regulation elsewhere. So it is vital that banks are represented at an international level to enable discussion and information exchange about growing regulatory demands,” he said.
Bell said Mullen had expanded IBFed’s horizons by inviting senior representatives from banking associations in China and India to participate in board discussions in Australia.