2 March 2021

Teachers Mutual Bank Limited (the Bank) has announced the appointment of new Directors to its Board. The new appointments supplement the experience of existing independent, non-executive Directors who have built a strong understanding of members’ needs over many years.

Murat Dizdar, PSM, was appointed to the Board in January 2021. Mr Dizdar brings a wealth of experience in the education sector and is currently the Deputy Secretary, School Performance – South at the NSW Department of Education. As a senior leader at the Department, Mr Dizdar oversees the provision of a quality public education for students in over 2,200 schools.

At the Bank’s Annual General Meeting in November 2020, it was announced that The Hon. Verity Firth had been elected to the Board by member vote. Verity Firth has over fifteen years’ experience at the very highest levels of government and the not-for-profit sector. Ms Firth has been working in the education sector for over a decade, first as Minister for Education and Training in New South Wales and then as the Chief Executive of the Public Education Foundation. She is now Executive Director of the Centre for Social Justice and Inclusion at the University of Technology Sydney.

Andrew Kearnan and Melissa Reynolds were appointed to the Board in September 2020. Mr Kearnan joins the Board having previously held a number of Executive and Board positions at leading financial institutions including Bank of America Merrill Lynch, Commonwealth Bank of Australia and Hollard Insurance. Mr Kearnan is Chair of the Audit Committee at Teachers Mutual Bank Limited.

Ms Reynolds is an experienced senior executive with over 30 years’ experience in the financial services, energy and media sectors. Ms Reynolds’ deep expertise in customer, product, marketing, digital and transformation will be a real asset to the Board as the Bank continues to evolve its strategy. At Teachers Mutual Bank Limited, Ms Reynolds is a member of the Remuneration Committee and the Risk & Compliance committee.

The new appointments follow the retirement of John Kouimanos who served on the Teachers Mutual Bank Limited Board for over 40 years, including 11 as Chair. During his tenure, Mr Kouimanos was instrumental in steering the growth of the Bank thanks to his passion for education and mutual banking.

Teachers Mutual Bank Limited Chair, Maree O’Halloran, said: “We are very pleased to welcome the new Directors to our Board. Each Director brings unique skills and experience which we look forward to drawing on to continue the strong growth of our mutual bank. The Directors’ skills in education, finance, digital and marketing will be a real asset as the Bank continues to transform to a digital-first strategy.”

Teachers Mutual Bank Limited CEO, Steve James, said: “I’m delighted to have the opportunity to work closely with the Directors of the Teachers Mutual Bank Limited Board in growing the Bank, providing superior value for our members, and continuing our commitment to being a leader in socially responsible banking.”

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