Asia-Pacific Power List 2024: Astrud Burgess, ANZ

Astrud Burgess 

Chief marketing officer
ANZ Group
New Zealand
New member

In July 2023, Astrud Burgess took on the expanded position  of CMO of ANZ Group, a role in which she now oversees the development and delivery of the multinational banking group's brand strategy, in addition to her existing responsibilities leading data and marketing and customer experience in New Zealand.

In the past, ANZ has typically adopted regional brand platforms for localisation across its divisions. However, under Burgess, an effort was spearheaded to launch a new brand platform

for New Zealand. The 'We do How’ campaign announced ANZ’s commitment to giving Kiwis the practical tools and know-how they need. It has delivered customer acquisition growth, strong conversion and record brand measures, making ANZ the market leader in the country. 

In the past year, Burgess has spearheaded a number of key initiatives, one of which was the decision to bring back the ANZ Falcon campaign that showcases ANZ's distinct security advantage and its commitment to protecting customers. In the Australian market, there's been a massive uptick in cyber events, data breaches, scams, and fraud activity which continue to be a challenge for customers, but ANZ Falcon technology analyses customers’ banking behaviour to help spot the difference between legitimate and fraudulent transactions and ultimately helps protect customers in a new era of fraud and scams. Last year, ANZ prevented more than $106 million in total losses to cyber criminals – a 38 per cent increase on the previous year.

Burgess is also known for her management style, approaching leadership with her "3 Rs framework: Rigour, Recognition, and Respect. The framework focuses on applying rigour to marketing strategies that have measurable impact, creating work that garners recognition, as well as working consciously to ensure that marketing is respected as a driver of growth. 

More widely in the industry, through judging industry awards, speaking engagements, mentorship programs, and industry collaborations, Burgess has actively contributed to knowledge sharing and professional development within the marketing community across Asia-Pacific. Burgess is also a diversity champion. In 2023, ANZ was a proud participant in the Shift 20 Initiative, an initiative led by the Dylan Alcott Foundation designed to increase disability representation, inclusion and accessibility in Australian advertising and media. The campaign was hugely successful and gained some much-needed traction about making disability more visible in ads. Burgess is also a fierce advocate for women in leadership as a member of Global Women, an organisation committed to fostering inclusion and diversity, and driving societal and economic growth.