ANZ CEO Shayne Elliott is preparing for "a smaller revenue base" The Australian reports this morning, an outcome the CEO tied to "a simpler business."Elliott will share a fuller version of musings for staff on the topic later today in what may be the set up for a new tilt in cost-cutting at ANZ.Risk-based pricing may be entrenched before long at ANZ, mainly on the lending side, in a measure that may reduce the bank's reliance on mortgage brokers. Financial Review columnist Chris Joye at the weekend rattled through a list of prominent topics at the bank, drawn from a briefing with ANZ's chief executive, Shayne Elliott, and chair, David Gonski. Staff numbers may be chopped drastically as well. Joye wrote: "While Elliott will not officially comment on what this means for staff numbers, I can see ANZ more than halving its workforce to around 25,000 people." A cynical reader can see Gonski and Elliott telling Joye that, while allowing plenty of time for the bank to work toward that goal. "ANZ does not want to be a major bank as popularly defined," Joye concluded.