Computerworld

Ex-golfer tees off ANZ e-venture

Former professional golfer Greg Dyer has teed off a new career with ANZ Bank in Auckland, as its first head of business e-commerce.

Former professional golfer Greg Dyer has teed off a new career with ANZ Bank in Auckland as its first head of business e-commerce.

Dyer will play a major role in the bank’s “e-transformation” - a process which involves launching and managing e-commerce initiatives in the coming months (see ANZ undergoes "e-transformation").

He heads a team of four, including e-commerce business manager Andrew Dodd and e-procurement supply manager Sanober Plumber, now based in the rebranded ANZ Tower in Albert Street, Auckland.

“My new job involves bringing product to market, securing distribution channels and looking for alliances,” says Dyer. This includes working with the bank’s Melbourne headquarters, where the bank has a 100-strong e-commerce development team. Dyer and his small crew will help adapt Australian products and services for the New Zealand market.

This is emphasised by his reporting to ANZ's Melbourne-based global head of e-commerce, Mike Irvine, as well as ANZ New Zealand managing director Dr Murray Horn.

Dyer says his role also includes communicating electronic thinking among the wider business community, whose bosses still remain unsure about e-commerce. ANZ already claims to be New Zealand’s biggest corporate and business banker; and Dyer is a board member of both the telecommunications users and electronic banking associations.

Still in his 30s, the Aucklander has been in IT for around 15 years. He holds a business diploma from Auckland University and is studying for an MBA.

He worked as a customs agent at Auckland International Airport before working for about 10 years for networking company Cray Communications, becoming its operations manager. Cray distributed Cisco products in New Zealand until the arrival of Cisco New Zealand and Logical. In 1995 Dyer became general manager of online travel reservations system Galileo, before joining ANZ at the end of last year.

Dyer is confident he will have more luck with e-banking than with golf. As a 20-year-old, he took part in the 1983 British Open and for a few years took part in other European tournaments, but says he did not win anything and never made a cent.