Former NZ Prime Minister joins ANZ board

The chair of Australia and New Zealand Banking Group, David Gonski, has announced that Sir John Key will join the ANZ board, effective immediately.

Key was New Zealand's 38th Prime Minister from 2008 until 2016, before retiring from politics and being appointed chair of ANZ's New Zealand subsidiary in January 2018. He first joined the New Zealand board in October 2017.

Key has experience in banking and international finance, primarily with Bankers Trust in New Zealand and Merrill Lynch in Singapore, London and Sydney. At Merrill Lynch he was head of global foreign exchange and a member of the foreign exchange committee of the Federal Reserve Bank of New York.

Commenting on his appointment, Gonski said: "Following a successful international career in business and politics, Sir John has the ideal credentials to further strengthen ANZ's Board. Our New Zealand business has already benefitted from his significant experience and I know he will make a valuable contribution to the ongoing success of the broader Group."

Key will stand for election as a director at ANZ's AGM on 19 December 2018.