Chief customer officer to become CEO of Gateway Bank

In another example of how the customer must be king moving forward, Gateway Bank’s chief customer officer is shortly to become the bank’s new CEO.

Lexi Airey will take over from Paul Thomas, who after 14 years at the helm, retires as Gateway’s longest serving CEO at the end of March 2019. 

Airey joined Gateway four years ago as its first chief customer officer, overseeing a wide remit and a singular view of the customer. Her current role encompasses customer experience, lending and transactional operations, strategic alliances, brand, marketing, sales, product and pricing.

“Lexi’s appointment from chief customer officer to CEO demonstrates Gateway’s commitment to putting the customer first, and people before profit. Over the last four years, Lexi has contributed across the business as a driving force behind our customer experience strategy, building new innovative partnerships and elevating our brand,” Gateway’s chair, Catherine Hallinan, said. 

Hallinan thanked Thomas for his contribution, having steered Gateway through a period of great change. 

“Paul’s mandate from the board when he started in March 2005 was to “reinvent Gateway”. Along the way, he had to contend with the loss of our membership bond and the impact of the Global Financial Crisis. Gateway now has assets of over $1 billion and world-class levels of customer satisfaction.” 

Airey said there could not be a more exciting time to take on the opportunity. 

“In the midst of the Royal Commission, now more than ever, Gateway can demonstrate its customer centricity and genuine empathy for the customer.” 

Airey will work alongside Thomas as he hands over the reins over the next few months.

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