Who is Brian Hartzer?

Brian Hartzer is a business leader, author, and adviser with over 30 years of experience in financial services, healthcare AI, and board governance.

He is currently Group Executive at Quantium, responsible for Financial Services, Government, and Quantium Health — a joint venture between Quantium and Discovery Health that applies AI and data analytics to complex healthcare challenges across Australia, South Africa, the UK, and the US.

Brian was CEO of Westpac Banking Group from 2015 to 2019, leading one of Australia’s largest financial institutions through a significant strategic and cultural transformation. Prior to Westpac, he held senior executive roles at the Royal Bank of Scotland Group and ANZ Banking Group, and began his career at First Manhattan Consulting Group.

Outside his executive roles, Brian serves as President (Chairman) of the Australian Museum Trust and as Chairman of Beforepay, an ASX-listed fintech business. He is also an angel investor and adviser to several technology and fintech startups.

His book, The Leadership Star: A Practical Guide to Building Engagement, was published by Wiley in 2021. It draws on his experience leading teams from a handful of people to more than 40,000, and sets out a practical five-practice framework for building genuine engagement at every level of an organisation.

Brian holds a degree in European History from Princeton University and is a Chartered Financial Analyst. He holds dual US and Australian citizenship and is based in Sydney.