Briefs: New ombudsmen at AFCA, last day for cheques at ANZ NZ 31 May 2021 4:57AM Banking Day staff Finance regulation, Appointments, Ombudsman services, Payments, mobile & wallets, ANZ Emma Curtis, AFCA's new lead ombudsman for insurance The Australian Financial Complaints Authority has made two senior appointments. Emma Curtis, senior executive leader, insurers, at ASIC is moving to AFCA to become lead ombudsman insurance. Suanne Russell, formerly head of business bank legal at Westpac, will become AFCA’s lead ombudsman for small business. Russell joins on August 2 and Curtis on August 9. Today, 31 May, is the last day New Zealand customers will be able to deposit a cheque into an ANZ account or use an ANZ cheque to make a payment to another bank. ANZ will also stop issuing bank cheques. Foreign cheques in Australian, Canadian, US and UK currencies will still be accepted. The remaining Big Four banks’ Kiwi subsidiaries will follow suit over the next few months: Westpac and BNZ will stop accepting cheques in late June, and ASB from late August.
