27 May 2005

NEW CHAIRMAN OF VISA INTERNATIONAL ASIA PACIFIC

Beijing 27 May 2005: Following more than seven years as Chairman of the Visa International, Asia Pacific Board, Antonio L. Go, Chairman of Equitable PCI Bank, is to be succeeded by New Zealand born Peter Hawkins, Group Managing Director, Group Strategic Development of ANZ. The transition was agreed by directors meeting in Beijing today.

Tony Go has been a director of Visa International Asia Pacific since the creation of the region in 1981. He has played a leading and continuing role in guiding the strategic development of the Visa network in Asia Pacific as well as serving on the board of Visa International for many years. During his chairmanship of Asia Pacific, he saw the organization smoothly through the Asian financial crisis, the aftermath of 9/11 as well as the more recent SARS outbreak. He will remain on the regional board.

Peter Hawkins was a member of the Visa Asia Pacific board from 1995 to 1997 before rejoining in 1999. He has also served on the Visa International board since 2001. Peter has been with ANZ since 1971 during which time he has held a wide variety of senior positions including Group Managing Director, Personal Financial Services, the division serving ANZ's personal and small business customers in Australia and New Zealand; General Manager, Asia Pacific and Managing Director, New Zealand where he successfully re-oriented distribution and service delivery, as well as the integration of PostBank into ANZ.

In his current position, he is responsible for the expansion and reshaping of ANZ's businesses, mergers acquisitions and disposals, and for overseeing the Group's strategic cost agenda. Peter holds a Bachelor of Commerce and Administration. He is a Fellow of the Australian Institute of Bankers and the New Zealand Bankers Institute, an associate member of the New Zealand Society of Accountants and a member of the Australian Institute of Company Directors.

ENDS

Gordon Campbell: On John Key’s Agenda For The Nation

There seemed to be three main components to John Key’s speech:

a) tax cuts largely paid for by a hike in GST
b) mining in national parks and on conservation land, while building more roads.
c) giving firms easier access to the r&d from Crown Research Institutes, so that business can continue to get the taxpayer to pick up the tab for the research that keeps them competitive.

After all, corporate welfare is always such a blessed thing – its only social welfare that corrodes enterprise and ambition. More>>