Gail Kelly

Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director of Westpac Group

Gail began her banking career in 1980, and by 2001 Gail had held various senior management roles in a broad range of areas, including retail and commercial banking, strategy, marketing and human resources. Gail has spent the last eleven years as CEO of two Australian banks, St.George Bank from 2002 to 2007 and Westpac from 2008 to date.

Gail has presided over a period of enormous change and challenge for the Westpac Group. In 2008, Gail led Westpac through its merger with St.George, the largest merger in Australian financial services history. Gail also led Westpac as it successfully navigated through the turbulence and risk of the Global Financial Crisis and the consequent and continuing structural shifts in world banking and financial markets.

Westpac has grown to become one of the twenty largest banks in the world by market capitalisation. Under Gail’s leadership, Westpac Group today serves around 12 million customers, employs over 33,000 people and has over 1,500 branches.

Gail holds a Bachelor of Arts degree and Higher Diploma of Education from Cape Town University, an MBA with Distinction from the University of Witwatersrand, and an Honorary Doctorate of Business from Charles Sturt University. She is a non-executive director of the Business Council of Australia, the Australian Bankers’ Association and the Financial Markets Foundation for Children. She sits on the Global Board of Advisers at the US Council on Foreign Relations, and is a member of the Sydney Cricket & Sports Ground Trust. Gail is also CARE Australia’s Ambassador for Women’s Empowerment.

Gail is married to Allan and they have four children.