ANZ recruits former Westpac senior officer

Phil Chronican's diversity of experience described as a momentum booster for ANZ's domestic operations.

Chronican will become the Australian chief executive of ANZ reporting directly to chief executive Mike Smith, and fills the void left when Brian Hartzer defected to be head of retail banking at the Royal Bank of Scotland earlier this year, according to a report in The Australian.

Chronican, 52, left Westpac in June after a 27-year career at the bank that ended after Gail Kelly beat him to the chief executive position after his close ally David Morgan retired. He was Westpac's head of institutional banking, after previously serving as chief financial officer.

Chronican will start his job in November. He is understood to have been on a short list of three for the position.

"I have had my eye on him for some time," Mr Smith said, "I have known Phil a long time and he will be the right sort of mix for our organisation."