Westpac expands strategic marketing team under Michelle Klein

Westpac is continuing to reshape its marketing organisation under chief growth, brand and marketing officer Michelle Klein, appointing two senior leaders as it expands the bank’s strategic marketing and media capabilities.

The appointments see Sally Kiernan join as head of strategic marketing, consumer, while Leo Roberts has been named head of media and strategic partnerships.

The hires form part of a broader restructure within Westpac’s growth, brand and marketing division, which now brings together strategy, customer insight, data, creativity, media and partnerships under a single leadership team.

Announcing the appointments on LinkedIn, Klein described building the team as “one of the best parts of the job”.

“As we’ve expanded the remit of growth, brand and marketing at Westpac, we’ve been bringing together strategy, customer insight, data, creativity, media and partnerships into one connected team,” she said.

SEE MORE: Westpac extends brand reset with ‘Double You’ platform

“It’s all in service of one ambition: helping Westpac become our customers’ number one bank and partner through life.”

Kiernan joins with more than two decades’ experience across financial services, telecommunications and media, bringing expertise in strategy, customer experience, digital and innovation.

She spent more than eight years at IAG as marketing director for NRMA Insurance. She also brings banking experience having held the role of head of marketing and sales at NAB’s digital banking brand UBank.

Roberts, meanwhile, takes on responsibility for media and strategic partnerships after an 18-year career with Coca-Cola most recently as integrated marketing experiences group director, overseeing media, sponsorships, partnerships and integrated marketing across ASEAN & South Pacific.

Writing on LinkedIn, Roberts said he was looking forward to joining the bank “and building on the momentum that is clearly already in motion”.

The appointments continue Klein’s overhaul of Westpac’s marketing function following her arrival from IAG last year. Since taking the role, the former Meta executive has introduced the bank’s “Double You” brand platform, repositioning marketing around growth while bringing together customer insight, brand, media and partnerships within a broader commercial remit.

The changes also come as Australia’s major banks bolster their brand and marketing leadership. Commonwealth Bank recently handed its creative account to Howatson+Company and is set to take over the business from M+C Saatch from in the first half next year.

Earlier this year NAB sough to unify its marketing for the first time under a single campaign ‘Your Partner for Every Stage’ developed with TBWA and Mindshare. The platform brings NAB’s marketing under its long-running ‘More than Money’ brand promise, aligning brand, product and enterprise communications into one consistent creative and media approach across every customer touchpoint.