Marnie Baker appointed to Regional Australia Institute Board

Bendigo and Adelaide Bank CEO and Managing Director Marnie Baker has been appointed a Director of the Regional Australia Institute (RAI), the nation’s first and only independent think tank dedicated to building robust regional economies.

Established in 2011, the RAI is a not-for-profit which develops policy solutions and advocates for change to build a stronger economy and a better quality of life in regional Australia.

Bendigo and Adelaide Bank is the only regionally headquartered ASX listed bank in the Top 100 listed companies. Ms Baker has more than 30 years’ experience in the financial services industry and is a passionate advocate for regional Australia.

Ms Baker said she was proud to contribute to an organisation with a strong track record of advocating for regional Australia and a deep understanding of the opportunities and challenges faced by those who live and work outside of capital cities.

“I’m delighted to join the RAI as a Director after working closely with CEO Liz Ritchie and the organisation for a number of years. With almost half of our people calling regional Australia home and more than half of our branches located in regional or remote areas, RAI’s goals to empower regions and improve the quality of life for all Australians are closely aligned with our own.”

“I’m proud to call Bendigo home and I believe everyone should be able to live where they love. Whilst the regions have enormous untapped potential, they also face a number of challenges and bottlenecks. I look forward to continuing to support the work being done by the RAI and finding innovative ways for the regions to realise an exciting pipeline of investment and growth opportunities.”

Bendigo and Adelaide Bank is member of the Regional Australia Council and a signatory to the RAI’s 2032 Regionalisation Ambition, which aims to direct the actions of government and private industry towards achieving a greater proportion of Australians living prosperously in the regions by 2032.

RAI CEO Liz Ritchie welcomed Ms Baker to the Board, and said the organisation was fortunate to attract Directors of such a high calibre. Ms Ritche said the RAI would benefit from Ms Baker’s unique perspective and personal connection with regions.

“Marnie has been a strong supporter of the RAI since our inception 12 years ago, and we look forward to her counsel on the Board to help drive the Regionalisation Ambition 2023 which aims at empowering regions to thrive,” Ms Ritchie said.