ANZ Bank New Zealand has appointed Michael Bullock as Chief Operating Officer (COO), returning him to a role he previously held at the bank. The appointment takes effect from 2 November 2026, subject to non-objection from the Reserve Bank of New Zealand.
Bullock, who is currently Chief Information Officer (CIO) for ANZ New Zealand and the Pacific, will join the New Zealand Leadership Team and report to CEO Ben Kelleher. He will also have a dotted reporting line to ANZ Group COO Stephen White.
Leadership transition
Bullock has been with ANZ for 17 years and has held several senior leadership positions across the bank. His previous roles include COO, General Manager Institutional Operations, and Acting Group Executive and CIO for ANZ Group.
He previously served as ANZ NZ's COO from 2015 to 2020, succeeding Craig Sims, before moving into the CIO role.
Before joining ANZ, Bullock held senior banking positions in New York and London.
The appointment comes as Kelleher takes over as CEO of ANZ New Zealand, succeeding Antonia Watson.
CIO recruitment
Following Bullock's move to the COO position, ANZ NZ will begin an internal and external search for a permanent CIO.
Until the appointment is made, General Manager Enterprise Architecture Martin Buis will serve as Acting CIO from 2 November 2026.
Bullock has been leading ANZ NZ's Technology team in New Zealand since becoming CIO in 2020.
Risk leadership change
ANZ NZ is also preparing for a change in its risk leadership. The bank said a new Chief Risk Officer (CRO) will be announced shortly.
In the interim, General Manager Operational Risk and Compliance Melanie Biss will take on the role of Acting CRO from 1 October 2026.
The leadership changes come as ANZ NZ reshapes its senior management structure, with the newly established COO role adding a dedicated operational leadership position to the New Zealand Leadership Team.