Australian Unity appoints new bank CEO

Member-owned wellbeing company Australian Unity will welcome Matt Ricker as CEO and EGM of its retail banking business on 9 May.

He takes over the bank CEO role following the resignation of Kieren Perkins OAM who left the bank to take up the CEO role at the Australian Sports Commission earlier this year.

The incoming Australian Unity CEO is currently the chief customer officer at Bank First, where he is responsible for member services, lending, insurance and financial planning.

Mr Ricker previously had an extensive career at National Australia Bank, where he held a range of roles over more than 20 years, including leadership roles across corporate, business and retail banking, as well as wealth management in customer-facing teams, operational delivery and functional areas such as risk, finance and strategy.

Announcing his appointment, Australian Unity’s CEO of retail, Christine Yates, noted Mr Ricker’s experience across the mutual banking sector, as well as his focus on the delivery of “first-class customer experiences and collaborative leadership style”.

Ms Yates suggested that his experience would support Australian Unity Bank as it worked to deliver its Banking that’s good for you growth agenda.

Mr Ricker, who is also a director of KIDS Foundation – an organisation empowering children to prevent and recover from injuries, said: “I have always felt the need to give back to the community, and as I looked to make the next step in my career, the opportunity to use my experience in banking in a community-focused organisation made Australian Unity an exciting choice.

“I anchor my business thinking on customer experiences and acknowledge the importance of developing high performing teams to enable the delivery of great customer service along with strong business outcomes.”

[Related: Australian Unity Bank CEO confirms departure]