Kate Aitken

Chief People Officer

Greater Sydney Area

About

Highly motivated and commercial senior People & Culture executive with strong leadership, management, strategy, transformation, change and communication skills. Deep leadership experience in Australia, New Zealand, APAC and Europe as CPO and across the full suite of P&C functions in retail and investment banking, telecommunications, tech, digital, and the functions that support and enable them. Works in senior executive teams in large, complex, global organisations with regular engagement with Board, Board Committees and global leadership. Builds high performing People & Culture teams and has developed and led people and change strategies through a number of major business and economic events, including business divestment, acquisition, commercial partnerships, change and transformation, regulatory response, crisis management and transformation. Member of Chief Executive Women, Director of Bus Stop Films, Member of Rem and Noms Committee at Bell Shakespeare theatre company and Founding Member of the Minerva Network.

Experience

  • Chief People Officer at Optus
    Aug 2020 - Present · 6 yrs

  • Westpac (2 yrs 6 mos)
    • General Manager Reward, Culture and Capability
      Sep 2019 - Jul 2020 · 11 mos

    • General Manager Human Resources Westpac Institutional Bank
      Feb 2018 - Dec 2019 · 1 yr 11 mos

  • Goldman Sachs (Sydney)
    • Managing Director
      Feb 2014 - Feb 2018 · 4 yrs 1 mo

      Co-Head, Human Capital Management Asia Pacific

    • Managing Director
      Jan 2012 - Jan 2014 · 2 yrs 1 mo

      Chief of Staff Australia and New Zealand

    • Managing Director
      Jul 2007 - Jan 2012 · 4 yrs 7 mos

      Head of Human Capital Management, Australia and New Zealand

  • Associate Director at Macquarie Group
    Feb 2005 - Jun 2007 · 2 yrs 5 mos

    Head of Human Resources, Risk Management Division

  • Executive General Manager at Commonwealth Bank
    Mar 2004 - Sep 2004 · 7 mos

    Human Resources, Financial and Risk Management Division