IMB Site Tour

The Leadership Illawarra Cohort had the privilege of visiting the IMB Head Office in November. The Cohort met with IMB Executive Managers Nathan Campbell (Chief Risk Officer) and Lauren Wise (General Manager Corporate Services & Company Secretary) and discussed a range of topics including the current challenges facing the Illawarra, IMBs strategies to strengthen community engagement and social responsibility, and IMBs approach to its workplace values and culture.
 
Nathan and Lauren discussed issues such as the area's transition from manufacturing, and youth unemployment being major challenges for the Illawarra over the next ten years, and also discussed strengths such as the areas close proximity to Sydney, as well as its economic and cultural diversity, as being opportunities for future growth.
 
Lauren discussed how the IMBs Community Engagement Purpose is broken into three strategies: Philanthropy – to improve the community; Community Engagement – to bridge the divide between the community; Sponsorship – to drive sales. This is to ensure that any organisation that the IMB partners with is aligned to their own values.
 
Nathan spoke about how the IMB, and the Australian Banking Industry in general, has had a heavy focus on values and culture in recent times. The banking industry has always had strong procedural and auditing processes in place, however the recent focus on values and culture has introduced more accountability around behaviours in the workplace.
 
Finally, Nathan and Lauren announced plans for the IMB to move from its current location to a purpose-built head office in Burelli Street Wollongong. This move is currently in the planning stages with the aim to have the new office opened by the start of 2020.
 
Matthew Demos