Briefs: Kiwibank rating review, Westpac waits for Hartzer and Macquarie promotes

  • Standard & Poor's has placed the AA- credit rating of Kiwibank under review with a negative outlook, driven by the same stance it has taken on the rating of New Zealand Post, which owns the bank. S&P cited the ongoing structural decline in NZ Post's core letters business for the shift in outlook.
  • Royal Bank of Scotland reiterated that it will not release Brian Hartzer to join Westpac until the middle of the year, the Financial Review reported. In December, Westpac announced the hiring of Hartzer (a former ANZ executive) to run its financial services division.
  • Macquarie Group appointed Alex Harvey as head of its Asian business, the Financial Review reported. Ben Brazil will lead the corporate and asset finance division.