Bob Santamaria will depart the AAR partnership, where he has been for 20 years, to take a new role as group general counsel and corporate secretary for the bank.

Santamaria will be responsible for ANZ’s legal functions globally, including acting as senior legal counsel to the ANZ board, providing leadership on legal issues associated with strategic development initiatives and major litigation and well as acting as ANZ’s company secretary.

Santamaria has been a partner at Allens since 1987, and is currently executive partner corporate, responsible for client liaison with some of the firm’s largest corporate clients.

Santamaria brings significant experience in securities, mergers and acquisitions. He holds a Bachelor of Commerce and Bachelor of Laws (Honours) from the University of Melbourne.