The Regulators 2022

Wayne Byres was appointed as a Member and Chair of APRA from 1 July 2014 for a five-year term. He was subsequently reappointed for a second five-year term commencing 1 July 2019.

Mr Byres' early career was in the Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA), which he joined in 1984. After more than a decade with the RBA, including a secondment to the Bank of England in London, he transferred to APRA on its establishment in 1998. Mr Byres subsequently held a range of senior executive positions in APRA, covering both its policy and supervisory divisions. In late 2011, Mr Byres left APRA to take up the appointment as Secretary General of the Basel Committee on Banking Supervision, the global standard setting body for banks based at the Bank for International Settlements in Basel, Switzerland. He held this position until his return to Australia in mid-2014.

Mr Byres is APRA’s representative on the Payments System Board, the Council of Financial Regulators, the Trans-Tasman Council on Banking Supervision, the Basel Committee and its oversight body, the Governors and Heads of Supervision.

Michele Bullock has been appointed as deputy governor of the Reserve Bank of Australia, the first woman to fill the role in the bank’s 62-year history.

Ms Bullock, currently an assistant governor, will replace the outgoing Guy Debelle, who left the bank on March 16 to pursue his passion for climate change at billionaire Twiggy Forrest’s Fortescue Future Industries.

Prior to her current position, Michele held a variety of senior management positions in the Bank. Most recently she held the position of Assistant Governor (Business Services). She was also Assistant Governor (Currency), Adviser for the Currency Group and, before that, she was Head of Payments Policy Department.

Cathie Armour is one of the Commissioners of the Australian Securities and Investments Commission ("ASIC").

The Commission is responsible for ASIC's performance as Australia's integrated corporate, financial markets, financial services and consumer credit regulator.

Cathie works closely with the ASIC teams responsible for regulating markets, market intermediaries and the enforcement of laws relating to market integrity and corporate governance. She also focuses on the work of ASIC’s Innovation Hub which supports fintech and regtech activities. Cathie is also involved in ASIC’s work on the impact of climate change on our financial system.

Cathie's experience before ASIC was in legal counsel leadership roles in international financial institutions. She began her career in private legal practice and has worked for law firms in Sydney and New York.

Cathie is a Graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors. She is also a member of Chief Executive Women.

Nicole Rose PSM commenced as the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of AUSTRAC in November 2017.

As AUSTRAC CEO, Nicole leads Australia's financial intelligence unit and anti-money laundering/counter-terrorism financing regulator. AUSTRAC builds resilience in the financial system and disrupts money laundering, terrorism financing and other serious crime.

Nicole has an extensive and diverse career in Australia’s law enforcement, criminal justice and intelligence agencies. Her expertise includes criminal justice policy and programs, legislative development, forensic intelligence and offender management.

Before joining AUSTRAC, Nicole was Deputy Secretary Criminal Justice Group in the Attorney-General’s Department. Prior to that she was Deputy CEO of the Australian Criminal Intelligence Commission, CEO of CrimTrac, and Director of the Office of the NSW Police Commissioner. Nicole also held senior roles in the NSW Premier’s Department, Ministry for Police, and Serious Offenders’ Review Council (NSW Department of Corrective Services).

Nicole was awarded a Public Service Medal in 2013, for her services to policing.

Kristin is currently the head of the Audit business for PwC Australia and sits on the Executive Board in that role. She has been a partner for over 17 years and is known for leading large complex engagements, both local and global. Kristin is the lead auditor for some of PwC Australia’s largest audit clients, and is the current signing audit partner for Macquarie Group Limited and Macquarie Bank Limited. She is focused on driving quality and integrity, and is always conscious of the broader role the audit profession plays in underpinning trust in the capital markets.

Kristin has a passion for innovation and bringing together diverse groups of people to effect change. She developed and leads a venture (InnoWell) between PwC and the University of Sydney to commercialise technology designed to transform the way mental health services are delivered both in Australia and globally. She is also leading a collaboration project across Asia Pacific to disrupt the external audit through technology.

Kristin was named as one of the Australian Financial Review’s “100 Women of Influence” in 2019, having been nominated in the innovation category. She is a Board Member of Taronga Conservation Society Australia, and of Mindgardens (an innovative mental health alliance), and works with a group of senior female business leaders seeking to empower women in developing nations through education.