ANZ has appointed former Westpac Institutional Banking group executive Philip Chronican as chief executive of its Australian business.
Chronican will be responsible for the bank's retail, commercial and wealth management business.
He will also be segment leader for ANZ's retail business globally.
Chronican replaces Graham Hodges in November this year.
Hodges took on the role as acting chief executive in May 2009, when former ANZ Australia chief executive Bob Edgar retired.
He will continue in his permanent full-time role as ANZ deputy chief executive officer.
"I want to acknowledge Graham Hodges for his leadership of the Australia Division in recent months including leading last week's acquisition of ING Group's 51 per cent shareholding in the Australian and New Zealand wealth management and life insurance joint ventures," ANZ chief executive Mike Smith said.
"This provides a strong foundation for Phil and the Australian Division team to continue to build on."
At Westpac, Chronican was responsible for the global corporate and institutional banking business and also served as the bank's chief financial officer from 2001 to 2005.
In a separate announcement, the bank said it has opened its first rural bank in Western China. Smith opened the new branch, which is located in Liangping.
ANZ already had three branches in the country, namely in Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou.
