Australia’s top banking regulator will stand down in October, and he’s left his mark on the banking system. But his legacy will be stress-tested in the present housing downturn.
As Wayne Byres jetted back to Sydney from Switzerland in 2014 to take up one of the most powerful roles in Australian finance, he would have known better than most of the immense challenges that lay ahead.
Byres’ skills and suitability in the decidedly “unsexy” sphere of banking supervision were apparent from his early days at the Reserve Bank, which was, until 1998, responsible for that function.
Jonathan ShapiroSenior reporterJonathan Shapiro writes about banking and finance, specialising in hedge funds, corporate debt, private equity and investment banking. He is based in Sydney. Connect with Jonathan on Twitter. Email Jonathan at jonathan.shapiro@afr.com
James EyersSenior ReporterJames Eyers writes on banking, payments and fintech. He is a former legal and investment banking editor at the AFR, has degrees in commerce and law from UNSW, and is co-author of Buy now, pay later: The extraordinary story of Afterpay Connect with James on Twitter. Email James at jeyers@afr.com.au
Ayesha de KretserSenior reporterAyesha de Kretser is a senior reporter with The Australian Financial Review covering the aviation and tourism sectors. She has previously reported on banking, mining and commodity markets. Connect with Ayesha on Twitter. Email Ayesha at ayesha.dekretser@afr.com.au
