A message from our CEO Steve Laidlaw
5 August 2024
Welcome to our latest member newsletter – my first as CEO of People First Bank. I succeeded Peter Lock as CEO on 1 July 2024, allowing for a smooth transition in line with our merger commitments and coinciding with the start of the new financial year. I was formerly Deputy CEO of People First Bank, and before that CEO and Managing Director of People’s Choice. Peter leaves the organisation in fantastic shape, and I look forward to building on that legacy and leading us into a bright future. We’re continuing to make excellent progress on the rollout of our new People First Bank brand, which we launched earlier this year. Our People First Community Lottery, People First Bank Foundation and the People First Stadium on the Gold Coast have been rebranded, and the first of our branches has been transformed, with more to follow soon. The rebranding of the rest of our People’s Choice and Heritage Bank branches will be a gradual process extending into next year, but we are off to a great start. Of course, our new brand is only one aspect of the wider integration activity that is underway as we deliver on the benefits of our merger. A key focus is introducing a modern, flexible and user-friendly IT solution, which will benefit members and employees. That work is complex but is proceeding very well. While planning for the future, we’re continuing to support our members with their financial needs, highlighted recently by Canstar awarding us Customer-Owned Bank of the Year 2024. At People First Bank, we’re building on the proud histories of Heritage Bank and People’s Choice to create a compelling new national customer-owned alternative to the big banks. I look forward to keeping you updated. Steve Laidlaw
Chief Executive Officer