Australia's central bank sees second senior official depart

By James Glynn

SYDNEY -- The Reserve Bank of Australia's Assistant Gov. (Economic) Luci Ellis is leaving the bank to take on a new role as chief economist at Westpac in October, the second departure of a senior official.

Ellis will replace veteran Bill Evans, who has served as chief economist at Westpac since 1991.

The departure of Ellis comes amid widespread speculation that RBA Gov. Philip Lowe's seven-year term won't be extended beyond September, and follows the sudden departure of former Deputy Gov. Guy Debelle in early 2022.

The job of heading economic forecasting at the RBA, which Ellis has held since 2016, has traditionally been a stepping stone for middle managers to become governor.

Prior to her current role, Ellis was head of financial stability for eight years at the RBA.

Ellis will begin her new role at Westpac on Oct. 9.

-

This content was created by MarketWatch, which is operated by Dow Jones & Co. MarketWatch is published independently from Dow Jones Newswires and The Wall Street Journal.

(END) Dow Jones Newswires

07-09-23 2020ET

Copyright (c) 2023 Dow Jones & Company, Inc.