Kiwi expat Andrew Lark takes Buckman’s chief marketing officer role at CommBank in Australia

The Commonwealth Bank has appointed Dell’s Andrew Lark as chief marketing officer, filling the vacuum left by the departure of Mark Buckman to Telstra at the end of last year.

Australian agencies have high hopes the Commonwealth Bank account will return to Australian shores, and it remains to be seen if Lark takes the brand business off Goodby Silverstein & Partners in San Francisco, reversing a controversial decision made by Buckman in 2007.

Kiwi expat Lark joins the Bank from his most recent position of Vice President, Dell, where he is responsible for leading the Global Marketing of its Public and Large Enterprise Group. Prior to Dell, Lark has held senior marketing, consulting and online roles with start-ups and the world’s leading technology brands.

He has vast marketing and online experience across business to business and consumer sectors, as well as a strong record in emerging technologies and development and use of new media channels, such as online and social media.

Lark will report to the Bank’s Group Executive, Retail Banking Services, Ross McEwan and will commence his role on 1 July .

Says McEwan: “I am delighted to have someone of the capability and experience of Andrew joining our team. He is a high calibre executive with experience leading Global Marketing functions at large international companies in Asia, Europe and most recently the United States. I look forward to Andrew joining our Marketing team and bringing his experience and innovation to the Commonwealth Bank.”

Lark is a director of No 8 Ventures, New Zealand’s leading venture capital firm and sits on the advisory board of Xero. He recently served on the board of Endace and other NZ start-ups. In 2003 the New Zealand Government awarded him the inaugural World-Class New Zealander Award for his contributions to New Zealand. Until this appointment takes effect, he chairs the New Zealand Government’s Technology beachhead in the US market.

A native of Auckland, Lark holds a BA from Auckland University. When he is not immersed in work, he expends his spare energy as a competitive sailor, avid reader and wine enthusiast. He also enjoys cycling, windsurfing, writing, travel and design. He is married with a delightful daughter, Sophia and son, Zach.