CommBank appoints Baber Zaka new general manager of third-party banking

Razia Khan moves to CommBank's premier banking division

CommBank appoints Baber Zaka new general manager of third-party banking

Commonwealth Bank has announced the internal appointment of Baber Zaka as its new general manager of third-party banking.

Zaka has climbed the CommBank ranks over the past 10 years, having held numerous senior roles before officially joining the third-party team in 2020.

Speaking on his appointment, CommBank’s executive general manager of home buying Michael Baumann commended Zaka for overseeing improvements to the bank’s broker-support network during his time as chief operating officer.

“Baber not only brings a lot of technical and industry knowledge to this role, but his commitment to helping broker businesses to thrive is unquestionable,” said Baumann.

Speaking on his appointment, Zaka stated: “Having worked closely with brokers for the past five years, I know how important it is to have the right foundations and strong relationships, and this will remain a priority for me and the team.

“I’m also excited to see how we can further make our processes simpler and easier, and ultimately give our brokers more confidence to grow their businesses with us.”

Zaka succeeds Razia Khan, who has taken on the role of general manager within CommBank’s premier banking division.

WestPac, however, remains more pessimistic on this front. Alongside today’s Consumer Sentiment Bulletin, the bank reaffirmed the board’s stance that the RBA will leave interest rates unchanged in February, “with an easing expected to commence in May”.

The consumer sentiment data also showed that consumers have become more pessimistic on the outlook for house prices, particularly in Queensland, South Australia and Tasmania.