Scott Tanner

CEO, Bank of Melbourne

There’s only one thing Melbourne native Scott Tanner loves as much as his home city – his job. For a sit-down with the chief of Victoria’s local bank, Deborah Joy Peter takes a number and cashes in on the opportunity.

Bank of Melbourne chief executive, Scott Tanner, might have started out in the financial services sector around the mid-1980s as a computer engineer with a RMIT degree in applied science mathematics, but the long-time Executive MBA holder has gone on to become more than just a buttoned-down, business-as-usual banking specialist who crosses his Ts, dots his Is, crunches the numbers, and spits out forecasted figures.

HUMAN CAPITAL

Needless to say, three decades of having dabbled in the field coupled with a deep-seated fascination with finance has taught the Australian banker that the most treasured exchange in any transaction is the rolling up of one’s sleeves and getting involved. Such chutzpah is exactly the engine that powers the corporate juggernaut’s drive to lead the aforementioned people-centric brand as ‘the bank for Melbourne’.

Tanner’s illustrious career is testament of his commitment to his organisation, its people, and the community. It was experience, adopting a hands-on approach, and dedication towards a heartfelt vocation which transformed the great thinker into an exceptional doer. “I’ve always been interested in finance, in particular, the role that it plays in shaping the global economy and the impact the local financial services industry has on our lives,” he tells Essenze.

 

GLOBALISATION EXPERT

Since graduating from Melbourne Business School back in the day, he has helmed numerous business units and driven strategic analytic capability at a leading financial institute as well as tried his hand at management consulting as a partner at Bain & Company. His tenure at the global consultancy firm saw him set up the outfit’s local office and eventually spearhead the network’s financial services practice locally and across the Asia Pacific region.

According to the man himself, the most rewarding aspect of his commission has been spending time with customers and learning about their aspirations and motivations. “It might be their big idea for starting a small business, the overseas trip they’re planning to take when they retire comfortably or the state-of-the-art technical equipment that a commercial customer is planning to buy so they can grow.”

VALUABLE ASSET

Having had to deal with arena-wide issues right from the get-go as well as clients from all walks of life within the region and the world over—including China, Brazil, South America, and South Africa—have but lent to his versatility as a captain of industry and further piqued his interest over the many challenges present on Australia’s financial horizon during this Asian Century.

In 2010, he joined the Westpac Group only to be appointed chief executive of the Bank of Melbourne upon the facility’s re-launch a year later. The highlight of his career, Tanner was part of the team assembled to design, develop, and plan the organisation-wide exercise. Prior to the makeover as a preparatory move, his contributions were focused on the bank’s revitalisation strategy and expanding the brand’s business footprint in Victoria. 

OPPORTUNITY LENDER

“Launching a bank doesn’t happen every day. Indeed, it’s a rarity anywhere in the world since the global financial crisis. It was a bold move by any standard and it’s an extraordinary privilege to lead the bank at a time of rapid change in the industry and broader society.” Tanner has been making great strides playing his role, yet his work is far from finished, particularly in charting the country’s progress in relation to the Asian opportunity.

“Launching a bank doesn’t happen every day. Indeed, it’s a rarity anywhere in the world since the global financial crisis. It was a bold move by any standard and it’s an extraordinary privilege to lead the bank at a time of rapid change in the industry and broader society.”

Plenty still needs to be done to deepen the relationship with some of the brand’s largest trading partners to move it from a transaction-focused arrangement to a true partnership, he explains. “A recent survey found that less than 10 percent of Australian businesses are currently operating in Asia while only 12 have any experience with the market. This is an enormous opportunity for all of us, especially Australia’s two million small and medium enterprises.”

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1171年，在意大利建设的威尼斯银行，据说是全世界的第一家银行，从此金融银行服务走入全球人们的生活中。

而在80年代中期，墨尔本银行首席执行员Scott Tanner开始了他漫长的金融服务行业生涯。作为墨尔本皇家理工大学(RMIT)数理学位和墨尔本商学院高级工商管理人员专业持有者，不仅仅是一个银行业专家，在他的血骨和神经都潺潺流淌着钱线和数据的脉络。

涉足金融领域30年，这位澳大利亚银行家的丰富经历和令人敬佩的专业表达是：卷起袖子亲自参与任何事务。他肆无忌惮的作为权力领导引擎，主宰并成就着“以人为中心”的品牌－墨尔本银行。

杰出的职业生涯是证明他对组织、人民与社区的珍贵贡献，并且作为经验，采用了直接的实践方式和奉献精神。“金融银行业在塑造全球经济中起到大作用，银行服务行业也深入影响我们的生活。”他告诉 ESSENZE。

自商学院毕业后踏入金融界，他在金融机构业务和驱动战略分析能力方面具出色表现，并在著名管理咨询公司 Bain & Company 一试身手，任期间负责全球咨询公司并设置当地办事处，最终矛头也指向网络金融服务的实践局部与整个亚太地区。

他带领的团队花时间与客户沟通，借此了解他们的愿望和动机。“可能客户在具备宏观想法的情况下开始经营一个小企业；他们正在采取舒适的退休方式如海外旅游或商业客户计划购买一些先进的技术设备作为业务成长。”

他们曾处理过广泛领域课题，从一开始与当地或者全世界各行各业客户接触：包括中国、巴西、南美和南非，鉴于领导多功能性产业，进一步激起 Scott Tanner 的兴趣，因为许多挑战出现在澳大利亚金融地平线—亚洲世纪。

2010年，他加入西太平洋银行集团被任命为墨尔本银行首席执行员，而银行设施一年后重启。这是他职业生涯的亮点: Scott Tanner 也参与了团队部分组装设计、开发，计划和组织，这些改造前的系列策划，也集中在银行的复兴战略，在维多利亚扩大品牌业务版图。

“启动银行并非每天都会发生，事实上，自全球金融危机以来，对于世界各地而言这是罕见的状况。这是大胆的举措，也是非凡的特权引导银行顺应快速变化的行业和更广泛的社会。”

他在自己的专业领域一路披荆斩棘，然而，自认工作目标还远未达成，尤其是在亚洲国家的发展与机遇。“很多情况仍然需要深化发展，包括与一些大品牌贸易伙伴，将从集中交易过渡到一个真正的伙伴关系。”

他说，根据最新调查显示，少于10%的澳大利亚企业在亚洲开展业务，目前仅有12家有市场经验，这对他们来说是一个巨大的商机，特别是澳大利亚的200万中小企业。