Westpac staffer rejoins as IT boss

The banking corporation has chosen a new IT boss, replacing its outgoing group executive of business and technology solutions and services.

Diane Sias, who joins the company from consultants McKinsey where she worked for four years, will take over the role from current IT head Michael Coomer, set to retire at the end of this month.

It's not the first time Sias has worked for Westpac -- before her stint at McKinsey, she held a number of positions at the bank, including GM of banking functions.

Westpac CEO David Morgan said Sias will bring experience of both banking and operations, as well as knowledge of complex systems integration to the role.

Sias joins at a challenging time for the company's technology function, with an IT blackout hitting the bank in June and denial of service attacks affecting the company the same month.

Westpac has also undergone a number of changes in its IT staff in recent months. In February, the company hired former Telstra CIO Vish Padmanabhan as program director. In March, Westpac Corporate Centre CIO Alison Bichsel retired after 11 years at the bank.