As
Ralph Norris settles tries to reshape the Commonwealth Bank I hope he
will go all the way in taking the David Murray legacy out of the
bank.

Norris is already trying to change the bank’s culture, especially in retail
services, its main operating division. Staff morale is said to be improving, as are customer attitudes to the
bank. Both
were battered by the hard line, take it or leave it approach that David Murray and
the board (under John Ralph) pushed for years.

That
left the bank’s Which New Bank revamp looking a bit underdone,
especially with staff unhappy and customers upset at the attitude shown
to them. Likewise with business banking, Murray seemingly ignored the
initiatives taken by the ANZ in this area and got left behind. Now
Norris is trying to change these problems and turn them into pluses.

But I
hope he has abandoned a revealing affectation that senior bank executives said Murray had in his time. He
insisted that his senior executives call him ” Managing Director,” and not David or even Mr Murray. Sounds
very Yes Prime Minister or very private school,
doesn’t it?

Does
that mean he will want to be known as “Chairman” at the Future Fund? Oh dear!