Kelly, Gail (1956-…), is a South African-born Australian business executive. She was chief executive officer (CEO) of Westpac Group, one of Australia’s largest banks . Kelly was Australia’s first woman bank CEO and ranked among the most powerful women in the country.
Kelly was born Gail Patricia Currer on April 25, 1956, in Pretoria, South Africa , to British parents. She received a bachelor’s degree from the University of Cape Town and a master’s degree in business administration from the University of the Witwatersrand in Johannesburg . In 1977, she married Allan Kelly, a pediatrician, whom she met while both were college students. The couple have four children, including a set of triplets.
Kelly taught high school Latin in Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe) and history in Johannesburg, South Africa. She began her banking career in 1980, working as a teller at Johannesburg’s Nedcor Bank. At Nedcor, one of South Africa’s major banks, she moved rapidly into areas of greater responsibility, becoming general manager of human resources. Kelly later served as CEO of the bank’s credit card business.
Kelly and her family immigrated to Sydney , Australia, in 1997. She took a position as general manager of strategic marketing for the Commonwealth Bank of Australia. In 2002, she became the CEO of the smaller St. George Bank. She became the CEO of Westpac Group in 2008. Westpac is one of the Big Four Australian banks that also include Australia and New Zealand Banking Group, Commonwealth Bank of Australia, and National Australia Bank. She served as chief executive of Westpac until she retired in 2015. In that role, Kelly was one of the highest paid women in Australia. She wrote a book about her life and leadership philosophy, Live Lead Learn (2017).
