Reserve Bank of Australia Annual Report – 2014 Organisation Overview including Executives August 2014
The Reserve Bank is organised along the following operational lines, under the leadership of the Governor, Glenn Stevens,[*] and Deputy Governor, Philip Lowe.[*] [†]
Banking and Payments Group
Assistant Governor: Keith Hall[*] [†]
Banking and Payments Group comprises Banking Department and Payments Settlements Department.
Banking Department
Head: Lindsay Boulton
Deputy Heads: Stephanie Connors, Paul Phibbs
Banking Department provides a range of banking services to Australian Government departments and agencies as well as a number of overseas central banks and official institutions. The services are broadly divided into two activities – management of the government's core accounts and transactional banking. Sydney-based staff are responsible for the direction, administration and development of the Department's work, while the day-to-day interaction with customers is largely managed by staff in the Canberra Branch.
Payments Settlements Department
Head: Greg Johnston
Deputy Heads: David Brown, Peter Gallagher
Payments Settlements Department is responsible for the settlement of high-value payments and interbank obligations arising from the conduct of Exchange Settlement accounts and the Reserve Bank's own trading activities, as well as the operations of RITS (Reserve Bank Information and Transfer System), Australia's real-time gross settlement system. Services are also provided for the clearing and settlement of low-value payments, such as those arising from cheque and direct entry transactions.
Corporate Services Group
Assistant Governor: Frank Campbell[*] [†]
Corporate Services Group comprises three departments and one unit, which provide services to other parts of the Reserve Bank.
Facilities Management Department
Head: Grant Baldwin
Chief Manager: Matt Nolan
Facilities Management Department is responsible for the Reserve Bank's properties, security management and a range of facilities services.
Financial Administration Department
Chief Financial Officer: Robert Middleton-Jones[†]
Chief Manager: Colleen Andersen
Financial Administration Department prepares the Reserve Bank's financial and management accounts.
Staff Services Unit
Chief Manager: Michael Davies
Staff Services Unit is responsible for a range of staff services, such as payroll, superannuation and travel.
Information Technology Department
Chief Information Officer: Sarv Girn[†]
Deputy Head, Infrastructure and Operations: Peter Speranza
Deputy Head, Technology Services: Gayan Benedict
Information Technology Department is responsible for maintaining and developing the IT functions that support the Reserve Bank's policy, operational and corporate objectives.
Currency Group
Assistant Governor: Michele Bullock[*] [†]
Currency Group is responsible for all aspects of the banknote life cycle, including the design, production and distribution of banknotes.
The Assistant Governor (Currency) is Chair of Note Printing Australia Limited (NPA), a separately incorporated, wholly owned subsidiary of the Reserve Bank of Australia. It is responsible for printing banknotes, passports and other security documents for Australia and for export. More detail on NPA's governance and structure is provided in the chapter on ‘Banknotes’.
Note Issue Department
Head: Michael Andersen
Deputy Head: Keith Drayton
Note Issue Department is responsible for research into and development of new banknote designs and security features, and the supply of high-quality banknotes to meet the community's demand. The Department manages laboratories that assess new and used banknotes, develop new security features on banknotes and assess counterfeits detected in circulation. It has an extensive public engagement program with commercial banks, retailers, cash-in-transit companies, law enforcement agencies and banknote equipment manufacturers. Staff actively participate in a number of international groups with the objective of minimising the threat posed by counterfeiters internationally.
Economic Group
Assistant Governor: Christopher Kent[*]
Economic Group is responsible for analysis of economic trends, both domestic and overseas, forecasting and research relevant to the framing of monetary policy. It consists of Economic Analysis Department and Economic Research Department.
Economic Analysis Department
Head: Alexandra Heath
Deputy Heads: Marion Kohler, David Orsmond, Michael Plumb
Economic Analysis Department monitors and forecasts trends in the international and domestic economies, provides regular advice on these developments and monetary policy to the Governors and the Reserve Bank Board, contributes to various external bodies, maintains contacts with relevant external analysts, undertakes applied research and prepares reports for publication.
The Reserve Bank maintains four State Offices, covering: Queensland; South Australia and the Northern Territory; Victoria and Tasmania; and Western Australia. New South Wales and the Australian Capital Territory are covered by Head Office. These offices analyse economic conditions in regions throughout Australia and conduct liaison with individual firms and agencies in both the private and public sectors. They also provide a vehicle for communicating the operations of monetary policy to the wider community and for improving access to the Reserve Bank. The Bank also has an office in Beijing, China, which is responsible for monitoring local economic and financial developments as well as maintaining relationships with government and private entities.
Economic Research Department
Head: John Simon
Deputy Head: Vacant
Economic Research Department undertakes longer-term research into issues relevant to monetary policy formulation and the operation of financial markets. Results are published in the Research Discussion Paper series. The Department organises a major annual conference, as well as an annual Research Workshop. In addition, it organises a program of internal seminars, regularly hosts invited academic visitors and is responsible for administering a comprehensive library service for the Reserve Bank.
Financial Markets Group
Assistant Governor: Guy Debelle[*] [†]
Financial Markets Group is responsible for implementing the Reserve Bank's operations in domestic and foreign exchange markets, monitoring developments in financial markets and coordinating the Bank's relationships with international institutions. The Group is divided into Domestic Markets Department and International Department.
Domestic Markets Department
Head: Chris Aylmer
Deputy Head: Ellis Connolly
Domestic Markets Department is responsible for the Reserve Bank's operations in the domestic money and bond markets. The Department analyses developments in domestic financial markets, including the cost and availability of finance through financial intermediaries and capital markets, and provides regular advice to the Governors and the Reserve Bank Board on these issues.
International Department
Head: Chris Ryan
Deputy Heads: Matthew Boge, James Holloway
International Department is responsible for the Reserve Bank's foreign exchange operations, the investment of international reserve holdings of gold and foreign exchange, and the provision of regular advice on developments in international financial markets to the Governors and the Reserve Bank Board. The Department is also responsible for maintaining the Bank's relations with major international institutions.
The Reserve Bank's Representative Offices in London and New York come under the umbrella of the Financial Markets Group. The European Representative Office in London maintains liaison with central banks and other institutions and authorities in Europe, including the Bank for International Settlements and the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. The New York Representative Office performs similar functions in North America. Both of these offices monitor economic and financial developments in the local markets, and are responsible for foreign exchange operations and investment of international reserves.
The Reserve Bank's investment and trading operations are supported by the Financial Markets Technology Services area.
Financial System Group
Assistant Governor: Malcolm Edey[*]
Financial System Group supports the Reserve Bank's role in payments system regulation and its broad responsibilities for financial system stability. The Group is divided into Financial Stability Department and Payments Policy Department.
Financial Stability Department
Head: Luci Ellis
Deputy Heads: Merylin Coombs, Carl Schwartz
Financial Stability Department analyses the implications for financial system stability of developments in the macroeconomy, financial markets and the financial sector more generally, including areas such as patterns of financial intermediation, financial products and risk management techniques. The Department provides advice on these issues to the Governors and the Reserve Bank Board and supports the Reserve Bank's representation on bodies such as the Council of Financial Regulators, the Financial Stability Board and the Basel Committee on Banking Supervision. It is responsible for producing the Financial Stability Review.
Payments Policy Department
Head: Tony Richards
Deputy Heads: Darren Flood, Mark Manning
Payments Policy Department is responsible for developing and implementing the Reserve Bank's payments system policy. It provides analysis and advice to the Payments System Board on improving the safety and efficiency of the payments system. The Department is also responsible for oversight of Australia's clearing and settlement facilities and represents the Bank on the Committee on Payment and Settlement Systems of the Bank for International Settlements.
Audit Department
Audit Department is responsible for conducting independent appraisals of the Reserve Bank's activities, functions and operations to ensure that an adequate framework of internal controls has been established and is operating effectively. The Head of Audit Department reports to the Chair of the Audit Committee.
Human Resources Department
Deputy Head: Bruce Harries
Human Resources Department provides a range of centralised human resource functions primarily focused on ensuring the Reserve Bank's human resources policies and practices are tailored to attract and retain highquality staff. These include policies covering employment conditions, remuneration, staff training and development, equity and diversity, and occupational health and safety.
Information Department
Head: Jacqui Dwyer[‡]
Information Department is responsible for preparing and publishing Reserve Bank information and maintaining the Bank's websites. It handles enquiries from the public and media. In addition, the Department is responsible for the Bank's records management systems, archives and the Museum of Australian Currency Notes.
Risk and Compliance Department
Risk and Compliance Department supports the consistent and effective application of the Reserve Bank's framework for managing risk, both at the enterprise level and for individual business units across the Bank. It assists departments to identify, understand and manage their compliance obligations. It also monitors and reports on portfolio risks and compliance with respect to the Bank's operations in financial markets. The Head of Risk and Compliance Department reports to the Risk Management Committee and the Deputy Governor.
Secretary's Department
Secretary: Anthony Dickman[*]
Deputy Secretary: Peter Stebbing[†]
General Counsel: Catherine Parr[†] [‡]
Deputy General Counsel: Peter Jones
Secretary's Department provides governance, secretariat and coordination services for the Governors, the Reserve Bank Board and its Audit and Remuneration Committees, the Payments System Board and the Bank's Executive Committee and Risk Management Committee. In addition, it provides legal services to the Reserve Bank through the General Counsel, and coordinates a range of contacts with government, the Parliament, other central banks and international organisations, including arranging programs for visitors.