Murat Dizdar, Verity Firth Andrew Kearnan are among some big names joining the leadership team of Teachers Mutual Bank (TMB) following their appointment to the Bank’s Board of Directors.
The Bank said the new appointments “supplement the experience of existing independent, non-executive Directors who have built a strong understanding of members’ needs over many years”.
At TMB’s Annual General Meeting in November 2020, it was announced that The Hon. Verity Firth had been elected to the Board by member vote.
Firth, who has more than 15 years’ experience at the very highest levels of government and the not-for-profit sector, has been working in the education sector for over a decade, first as NSW Minister for Education and Training and then as the Chief Executive of the Public Education Foundation.
Currently, she is executive director of the Centre for Social Justice and Inclusion at the University of Technology (UTS) Sydney.
Another notable appointment to the Bank’s Board is Murat Dizdar, Deputy Secretary of School Performance at the NSW Department of Education. Dizdar, who was appointed to the Bank’s Board in January 2021, currently oversees the provision of a quality public education for students in over 2,200 schools.
Andrew Kearnan – Chair of the Audit Committee at TMB – and Melissa Reynolds – an experienced senior executive – brings 30 years’ experience in the financial services, energy and media sectors – were also appointed to the Board in September 2020.
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.
The new appointments follow the retirement of John Kouimanos who served on the Teachers Mutual Bank Limited Board for more than 40 years, including 11 as Chair. During his tenure, 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 the new Directors collectively bring a range of skills and experiences including a comprehensive understanding of the school system.
“The Board and Management team are therefore in a strong position to further support schools in 2021 by providing a socially responsible and reliable financial institution to education workers, while also giving back to the education community,” O’Halloran told The Educator.
“The driving force of our mutual bank is to support our members in the education, health and emergency services sectors. We keep our members in mind with every decision we make and work hard to support their financial wellbeing and their communities”.
Teachers Mutual Bank Limited Director, Verity Firth, said she is “extremely passionate about the education sector and delighted to have joined the Teachers Mutual Bank Limited Board”.
“As a member-owned bank Teachers Mutual is focused on not only providing superior member service and products, but also in providing opportunities for the education community to flourish,” Firth told The Educator.
“I look forward to supporting the education community in 2021, particularly after the many challenges of the pandemic”.