Major NAB investors fret over Irvine’s management style and drinking

Mark Di Stefano, Joyce Moullakis and Anthony Macdonald

Jul 15, 2025 – 5.00am

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Major investors have raised serious concerns about National Australia Bank chief executive Andrew Irvine’s management style and drinking at customer meetings and events with the bank’s directors, prompting the board to increase mentoring and provide more leadership development.

Issues about Irvine’s management approach were raised with NAB’s chairman Phil Chronican at an investor lunch in Sydney on June 10, two people who attended the event said on condition of anonymity citing the sensitive nature of the conversation.

Mark Di Stefano is Rear Window columnist, based in the Sydney newsroom. He previously worked at BuzzFeed, the Financial Times and The Information before joining the Financial Review as a media and tech correspondent.

Joyce Moullakis is an Associate Editor writing across company news, policy issues, investment banking, private equity and financial services.

Anthony Macdonald is a Chanticleer columnist. He is a former Street Talk co-editor and has 10 years' experience as a business journalist and worked at PwC, auditing and advising financial services companies.