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Mike Smith
Former Chief Executive Officer, ANZ

About Mike Smith

A former chief executive at ANZ, Mike is a banker with a global perspective following an international career across Australia, Asia, South America, the Middle East and United Kingdom. Mike was the architect of ANZ’s super-regional strategy and prior to joining the bank was a career banker with HSBC, leading the bank’s Asian operations. He has also chaired the Australian Bankers’ Association and is a director of the Institute of International Finance, a Member of both the Chongqing Mayor’s International Economic Advisory Council and the Shanghai Mayor’s International Financial Advisory Council. Mike is a director of the Financial Markets Foundation for Children, Financial Literacy Australia and the Financial Literacy Advisory Board. He has a passion for engine oil and classic British cars.

articles by Mike Smith

20 Aug 2015

Winning the Away Game: the challenge for Australia-based global companies

Mike Smith | Former Chief Executive Officer, ANZ

A morning spent discussing tax policy may not be everybody's Woodstock. But I have a special interest in the topic.

11 Aug 2015

How PNG can power into the Asian Century

Mike Smith | Former Chief Executive Officer, ANZ

Asia's industrialisation is presenting Papua New Guinea with an unprecedented opportunity to fast-track its economic and social development.

03 Aug 2015

Why ChAFTA is more than just another FTA

Mike Smith | Former Chief Executive Officer, ANZ

The decision by China's President Xi to travel to Australia last year to sign a Free Trade agreement, while largely symbolic, remains one of the most important economic events in Australia's recent history.

29 Jul 2015

Why we all must be champions of change for gender equality

Mike Smith | Former Chief Executive Officer, ANZ

Earlier this year I was fortunate enough to present Serena Williams the winner’s cheque after she won the Australian Open final for a sixth time. What made it particularly satisfying was that the cheque was for the same amount as Novak Djokovic’s the next evening.

25 May 2015

Why Australia's relationship with Indonesia is so important

Mike Smith | Former Chief Executive Officer, ANZ

We have just come through a particularly difficult period in Australia's relationship with Indonesia and I understand that the impact will last some time.

21 Apr 2015

Seizing the services opportunity

Mike Smith | Former Chief Executive Officer, ANZ

As Australia picks up the pieces from the end of the mining boom, more of us than ever are focussed on the future of the economy. Many questions are being asked, like how can we diversify our economic base, how can we deliver more and higher-paid jobs and how can we pay for government services for an ageing population?

15 Apr 2015

Mike Smith: Asia’s importance has been undersold - not oversold

Mike Smith | Former Chief Executive Officer, ANZ

Banking is a long-term game about value creation. It is not short term and the obsession with quarterly results is frankly a distraction which risks influencing management to make poor decisions.

09 Feb 2015

Four realities of workplace gender imbalance

Mike Smith | Former Chief Executive Officer, ANZ

Recently I had the privilege of speaking at an event organised by Financial Services Institute of Australia (FINSIA) to discuss ways to improve gender balance within financial services.

29 Jan 2015

The five things that define great leaders

Mike Smith | Former Chief Executive Officer, ANZ

It doesn’t matter if I’m meeting with seasoned executives or recently arrived graduates, one of the most common questions I’m asked by employees is what do I look for when identifying emerging leaders.

28 Jan 2015

No need for rate cuts: Mike Smith

Mike Smith | Former Chief Executive Officer, ANZ

ANZ CEO Mike Smith has urged the Reserve Bank of Australia to hold fire on interest rates and expressed confidence in the health of the Australian economy.

12 Jan 2015

The four big shifts redefining business

Mike Smith | Former Chief Executive Officer, ANZ

Last month I spoke to ANZ’s shareholders about four big shifts which are redefining the future for ANZ and for business - global integration, demographics, resources and technology.

18 Nov 2014

Mike Smith: China FTA deal worth the wait

Mike Smith | Former Chief Executive Officer, ANZ

There is a saying that good things come to those that wait. The free trade agreement between Australia and China, ten years in the making, has been well worth the wait.