Senior managers have left ANZ in the Asia region while the bank reportedly says there is nothing untoward about the changes. ANZ has hired several private banks in recent weeks.

Two local chief executives have left Australia and New Zealand Banking Group, highlighting a war for talent in the Asia-Pacific region, WealthBriefingAsia can confirm.

Susan Yuen resigned in June as ANZ's Hong Kong chief executive and she is now on gardening leave. That move was followed by the resignation of China chief Charles Li earlier this month. Li held the top China role for about three and a half years while Yuen took up the Hong Kong position in 2009.

Yuen is currently on gardening leave. Ivy Au Yeung is Acting CEO HK. The bank hopes to announce a permanent appointment shortly, it said.

Ivy Au Yeung, managing director of commercial banking for the Asia-Pacific region at ANZ, is acting chief executive in Hong Kong and a search for a full-time holder of the post is under way and an announcement is hoped to be made shortly, a spokesperson told WealthBriefingAsia.

On the other side of the ledger, ANZ’s private banking business has snapped up a number of senior figures in the region. Earlier in July, WBA exclusively reported that Davin Wong, former head of North Asia for United Overseas Bank, based in Singapore, had joined ANZ as market head North Asia.

Wong remains based in Singapore and reports to Kevin Ong, private bank head for Southeast Asia. The move reunited the men, both of whom had worked at UOB. In May, this publication confirmed that ANZ Private Bank had appointed Ong as head of Southeast Asia, reporting to Manfred Liechti, global head of the private bank. Ong had worked at UOB Private Bank, holding the post of executive director, head of sales, business development and marketing.