Aravindan Madhava Murthy : Delivering Value Through Empowered Teams
Aravindan Madhava Murthy
Chief Operating Officer
One such rare figure is Aravindan Madhava Murthy, Chief Operating Officer at ANZ, whose journey exemplifies how humility, discipline, and resilience can shape extraordinary leadership. Recognized as CRO of the Year in both 2017 and 2018 and leading the Risk Management Team of the Year in the same period under awarded by the prestigious UBS Forums, Murthy’s accolades only tell part of his story. What makes him remarkable is not the awards alone but the ethos behind them.
Armed with a degree in Electronics Engineering, he began as a hardware engineer and later as a COBOL programmer, far from the world of global operations he would eventually helm. Yet, his rise within ANZ over the first just seven years was meteoric, becoming one of the fastest growth stories in the firm’s history.
With more than 25 years of international experience today, Aravindan has led the integration of over 8,000 professionals across geographies, significantly contri - buting to ANZ’s building capability centres while balancing sharp business outcomes with empathetic leadership.
Off the boardroom table, his passions are no less compelling. A vivid sports enthusiast and environmental sustainability advocate, he has been a vocal champion of diversity and inclusion.
Whether speaking at NASSCOM, industry GCC round tables, or the CII-IBDN network, he has consistently highlighted the importance of inclusion — especially for people with disabilities. His support extends to NGOs helping autistic children and education initiatives for underprivileged but talented students.
His journey, much like a well-played match, is one of grit balanced with grace, ambition tempered by empathy, and success anchored in values. Let’s hear from him.
With over 25 years of experience, could you share the defining milestones that have shaped your pro - fessional journey so far?
I began my career as a COBOL programmer, gaining a strong grounding in technology, discipline, and precision. Transitioning into leadership I established design, develop - ment, and testing capabilities for core banking at the GCC, later serving as Head of Core Banking and Program Director for the Asian Core Banking implementation.
Leading teams across Australia, Asia, and India honed my ability to manage cross -cultural teams and shaped me into a global leader. Over time, I integrated systems, people, and processes, driving efficiencies while embedding trust, mentorship, and collaboration.
My next phase focused on technology expansion in the GCC as Head of Technology (Professional Services) and Tech Hubs Program Director. Here, I scaled project management, business analysis, and solution architecture capability while transitioning over 800 roles to strengthen the GCC technology footprint.
I then moved into Head of Strategy and business management shaping the growth story for ANZ GCC. From there, I took the Risk and compliance leadership across Bangalore, Manila, and Chengdu, embedding proactive risk profiling, automation-led controls, and stronger governance, while fostering a culture of shared ownership in compliance.
Most recently, as the COO of ANZ Bengaluru GCC, I’ve been privileged to lead at scale, orchestrating business services for more than 8,000 staff, covering business excellence, strategy, business management, business continuity management, L&D, property and staff services.
My journey reflects a consistent focus on navigating complexity, empowering people, and creating thriving environments.
How would you define your leadership style, & what principles or approaches guide you in leading teams effectively?
I see myself as a problem solver, results-oriented and values-driven. My leadership approach balances people and performance, as I believe lasting business value comes when individuals feel empowered. I provide clarity and alignment so teams understand the purpose behind goals and how their contributions matter. Mentoring, coaching, and enabling growth are central to building engagement and resilience.
I also emphasize accountability, risk awareness, and process excellence to deliver consistent outcomes at scale. Whether leading 8,000 staff globally or driving major transitions, my focus remains on creating
Having concluded a fulfilling chapter with ANZ, my next goal is to build & scale a global capability organisation that blends operational excellence with strategic impact
Leading teams across Australia, Asia, and India honed my ability to manage cross -cultural teams and shaped me into a global leader. Over time, I integrated systems, people, and processes, driving efficiencies while embedding trust, mentorship, and collaboration.
My next phase focused on technology expansion in the GCC as Head of Technology (Professional Services) and Tech Hubs Program Director. Here, I scaled project management, business analysis, and solution architecture capability while transitioning over 800 roles to strengthen the GCC technology footprint.
I then moved into Head of Strategy and business management shaping the growth story for ANZ GCC. From there, I took the Risk and compliance leadership across Bangalore, Manila, and Chengdu, embedding proactive risk profiling, automation-led controls, and stronger governance, while fostering a culture of shared ownership in compliance.
Most recently, as the COO of ANZ Bengaluru GCC, I’ve been privileged to lead at scale, orchestrating business services for more than 8,000 staff, covering business excellence, strategy, business management, business continuity management, L&D, property and staff services.
My journey reflects a consistent focus on navigating complexity, empowering people, and creating thriving environments.
How would you define your leadership style, & what principles or approaches guide you in leading teams effectively?
I see myself as a problem solver, results-oriented and values-driven. My leadership approach balances people and performance, as I believe lasting business value comes when individuals feel empowered. I provide clarity and alignment so teams understand the purpose behind goals and how their contributions matter. Mentoring, coaching, and enabling growth are central to building engagement and resilience.
I also emphasize accountability, risk awareness, and process excellence to deliver consistent outcomes at scale. Whether leading 8,000 staff globally or driving major transitions, my focus remains on creating
environments where people thrive and, in turn, strengthening the culture and of the organisation.
What steps do you take to stay current with evolving industry trends & ensure your organization remains future-ready?
For me, staying current means combining structured learning with real-world insights. I engage with industry forums, analyst reports, and consulting thought leadership to track market shifts, while also learning from peers and benchmarking against global leaders.
Equally, I stay connected with business and frontline teams, who often sense changes earlier than reports.
Blending external insights with internal perspectives helps me anticipate trends, identify innovation opportunities, and guide the organisation to remain resilient and future-ready.
Drawing from your industry experience, what guidance would you offer to emerging leaders aiming to make their mark?
My advice to aspiring leaders is to balance empowering people with delivering tangible business outcomes.
Listen deeply, under stand context before driving change, and always anchor actions in measurable results. Stay adaptable, as markets and technology evolve rapidly, making resilience and curiosity essential.
Invest in self-growth and nurture teams through mentoring and trust, as empowered people innovate faster and execute better. Aligning individual strengths with organisational strategy creates engaged teams and lasting business impact.
What vision or long-term goals are you working toward as you look ahead to the future?
Having concluded a fulfilling chapter with ANZ, my next goal is to build and scale a global capability organisation that blends operational excellence with strategic impact.
I am passionate about creating future-ready innovation centres driven by process excellence, digital innovation, and empowered people. My vision is to partner with an enterprise seeking to transform its operating model, reduce complexity, enhance resilience, and unlock fresh value.
Aravindan Madhava Murthy, Chief Operating Officer, ANZ
With over 25 years of global experience, Aravindan Madhava Murthy, Chief Operating Officer at ANZ, is known for transforming businesses, scaling capability centres, in the GCC, and championing diversity, sustainability, and empathetic leadership alongside driving business excellence and value for business.
What steps do you take to stay current with evolving industry trends & ensure your organization remains future-ready?
For me, staying current means combining structured learning with real-world insights. I engage with industry forums, analyst reports, and consulting thought leadership to track market shifts, while also learning from peers and benchmarking against global leaders.
Equally, I stay connected with business and frontline teams, who often sense changes earlier than reports.
Blending external insights with internal perspectives helps me anticipate trends, identify innovation opportunities, and guide the organisation to remain resilient and future-ready.
Drawing from your industry experience, what guidance would you offer to emerging leaders aiming to make their mark?
My advice to aspiring leaders is to balance empowering people with delivering tangible business outcomes.
Listen deeply, under stand context before driving change, and always anchor actions in measurable results. Stay adaptable, as markets and technology evolve rapidly, making resilience and curiosity essential.
Invest in self-growth and nurture teams through mentoring and trust, as empowered people innovate faster and execute better. Aligning individual strengths with organisational strategy creates engaged teams and lasting business impact.
What vision or long-term goals are you working toward as you look ahead to the future?
Having concluded a fulfilling chapter with ANZ, my next goal is to build and scale a global capability organisation that blends operational excellence with strategic impact.
I am passionate about creating future-ready innovation centres driven by process excellence, digital innovation, and empowered people. My vision is to partner with an enterprise seeking to transform its operating model, reduce complexity, enhance resilience, and unlock fresh value.
Aravindan Madhava Murthy, Chief Operating Officer, ANZ
With over 25 years of global experience, Aravindan Madhava Murthy, Chief Operating Officer at ANZ, is known for transforming businesses, scaling capability centres, in the GCC, and championing diversity, sustainability, and empathetic leadership alongside driving business excellence and value for business.