Westpac Australia confirms two new IT appointments

Westpac Australia has confirmed that former Goldman Sachs technology infrastructure managing director David Simpson is due to join the bank as its global chief of infrastructure on 5 May 2014.

A Westpac Australia spokesperson told CIO Australia that Simpson will head up the Global Infrastructure team, based in Sydney.

According to an <i>iTnews</i> report, he will replace general manager of infrastructure Gary Sim who in April 2014 announced his retirement.

“David has more than 30 years of technology and strategic experience including a deep understanding of the banking industry,” the spokesperson said in a statement.

Simpson had spent 11 years at Goldman Sachs. He was in the managing director of technology infrastructure role for six years and, prior to this, the Asian head of technology infrastructure.

Before joining Goldman Sachs, Simpson was CIO of BT Financial Group from 1992 to 2001.

Westpac unveils IT scholarships as part of $100m program

The Westpac Australia spokesperson also confirmed that the bank has promoted BT head of technology, platforms, operations and business transformation Ana Cammaroto to the role of BT Financial Group CIO.

Cammaroto joined BT 16 years ago and has held many roles in investment management and accounting, advice, private wealth, BT infrastructure and application support. She is based in Sydney.

The announcements follow other changes to the Westpac Australia technology team.

In February, Woolworths confirmed that former Westpac Australia CIO Clive Whincup would be joining the company as its new CIO in 2014.

A Woolworths spokeswoman said that Whincup’s experience of retail in a banking environment and leadership of large scale IT programs would be of “great value” to the supermarket chain.

At the time, a Westpac spokesman said that Paul Spiteri will act as interim CIO while the bank conducts an internal and external search for a new CIO.

In December 2013, Les Vance was appointed as COO of technology. He replaced Jeff Jacobs who left the bank in January 2014. The COO technology role focuses on the day-to-day running of technology in the group as well as the delivery of Westpac’s IT change agenda.

Follow Hamish Barwick on Twitter: @HamishBarwick

Follow CIO Australia on Twitter and Like us on Facebook… Twitter: @CIO_Australia, Facebook: CIO Australia, or take part in the CIO conversation on LinkedIn: CIO Australia