Sovereign's new CEO is international financial services executive Symon Brewis-Weston.

Brewis-Weston takes over from Charles Anderson who is retiring at the end of March.  The appointment is subject to satisfaction of the fit and proper policy requirements.

Sovereign chairman Gavin Walker, said a strong field of candidates had been considered. 

"Brewis-Weston brings broad international financial services experience, as well as strong commercial acumen, to the Sovereign role.  He has spent the past 13 years in senior leadership positions with the Commonwealth Bank of Australia Group, successfully managing diverse businesses in complex and changing regulatory environments.  His early career focused on project finance, before moving into agribusiness and then investments roles with the Commonwealth Bank."

Following a five and a half year secondment heading up the Group’s Indonesian operations as President Director of PT Bank Commonwealth, Brewis-Weston returned to Australia in 2008 to take up the role of Executive General Manager, Local Business Banking.  He is currently the Executive General Manager, Corporate Financial Services. 

Brewis-Weston holds a Masters of Applied Finance from Macquarie University and a Bachelor of Economics (Hons) degree from Murdoch University.  He will be relocating to Auckland in March.