Rampart Talks: Matt Comyn

This is the sixth and final episode (for now) of Rampart Talks, and my guest is Commonwealth Bank of Australia chief executive Matt Comyn.

I’ve known Matt since he was running CBA's retail bank mid-last decade under Ian Narev and few could disagree he has since grown into one of Australia's standout public company leaders. What impresses me most about him is the sheer breadth of his knowledge base and operating field of vision – not just across the bank but the entire Australian and global economies (and the mega-trends buffeting them). In October, the CommBank board extended his tenure until at least 2028.

In this episode, Matt and I discuss economic reform inertia in Canberra (my words, not his), the coming waves of AI-driven disruption, Australia's housing affordability crisis and how he'll know when it’s time to quit:

“I used to think that you could teach people good judgment. I'm not sure that’s true for everyone. I also think you can lose your judgment. I mean, I worry about that a lot. Obviously I don’t think I have, [but] I’m really conscious of time in role… I think it does depend on the company [and] it depends on the individual. There are lots of people who’ve been really successful for a much longer period of time than me, and there are others [who] probably think that with the benefit of hindsight [they] stayed too long. It’s a conversation and a thought that I have frequently.”

Only Rampart subscribers can watch the full 60-minute version. For non-subscribers, a 17-minute cut is viewable at rampart.news as well as on YouTube, Spotify and all the major podcast players.

I hope you enjoy this episode and share it with others. Rampart Talks will now take a break, though I do hope we’ll be back with new guests before long.

Previous episodes: James Packer, Gillon McLachlan, Brad Banducci, Jayne Hrdlicka, Nick Molnar