Banking on AI: How ANZ’s employees are saving time and fostering deeper human connections with Copilot for Microsoft 365

Tim Hogarth, Chief Technology Officer at ANZ, says, “Generative AI is probably the largest significant technology change we’ve had in our industry since the first home computer.” For ANZ, this change is not merely a technological upgrade but a catalyst for profound improvements across the organisation.

Gerard Florian, Group Executive of Technology at ANZ, echoes this sentiment, highlighting the unique opportunity generative AI presents. “It’s a moment in time – a catalyst that has set off a chain of reactions that we did not fully anticipate,” he says. “But as we evolve, we see how it can transform our organisation from the bottom up, impacting every employee and customer.”

ANZ’s leadership in adopting generative AI is demonstrated by its deployment of GitHub Copilot to 3,000 software developers and engineers. This tool has already helped users generate millions of lines of code, and some early evidence shows that engineers complete some tasks up to 40 per cent faster. The banking group has also identified Copilot for Microsoft 365 as a key tool for enabling its employees to explore generative AI.

After trialling Copilot for Microsoft 365 with a subset of employees as part of the Early Access Program, ANZ has now expanded with an additional 3,000 licences. Deploying the generative AI service is changing how its employees work, driving productivity and enhancing their ability to connect meaningfully with colleagues.

Giving more time to executives for human connection

At ANZ, Copilot for Microsoft 365 is becoming an essential tool for executives, helping them manage their day-to-day responsibilities with greater efficiency and focus. By leveraging AI, leaders are finding that they can streamline routine tasks, freeing up valuable time to concentrate on more strategic and human-centric activities.

Jo Hayes, Chief Information Officer of Group Services, Technology at ANZ, describes Copilot for Microsoft 365 as a “daily boost” that helps her start each day with a clear focus. “I use Copilot to summarise my actions from the previous day, review meeting notes in a Copilot summary (which may sit across multiple pieces of content) and quickly identify my focus areas for the day,” she says.

For Hayes, Copilot for Microsoft 365 has also proven invaluable when dealing with extensive documentation. It helps her produce concise summaries and identify areas where she needs to dive deeper. This capability has opened up significantly more time for Hayes to focus on the more critical aspects of her role, such as building meaningful relationships with her team and broader stakeholders.

Navigating the Suncorp acquisition

Currently, ANZ is navigating the significant task of welcoming 3,000 Suncorp Bank employees and their 1.2 million customers to the group following its acquisition of the bank in July 2024. Like any acquisition, this involves the lengthy process of comparing and normalising vast amounts of documentation between the two organisations, including policies, standards and risk documentation.

Traditionally, businesses would have completed this process manually, making it costly and open to human error. But by using generative AI tools like Copilot, the banking group is making this process faster, while driving greater consistency and accuracy.

”We’re finding we can become 80 per cent more efficient by using generative AI on this process, which is saving us a huge amount of person-hours and increasing our consistency significantly,” says Hayes.

The time savings enabled by Copilot for Microsoft 365 has allowed ANZ’s leaders to focus more time on human connections, which is critical during a time of change like the Suncorp acquisition.

Enhancing project management and strategic thinking  

At ANZ, employees leverage Copilot for Microsoft 365 to enhance their project management capabilities and strategic thinking.

Beyond handling administrative tasks and creatively synthesising information from meetings, Copilot for Microsoft 365 is also being used as a creative and strategic development tool.  Carina Parisella, Tribe Lead, Head of Group Technology Workforce at ANZ, shares how she uses the generative AI service to bounce ideas around and formulate strategies, particularly when facing a ‘blank canvas’ or writer’s block.

“One of my favourite ways to use Copilot is by prompting it with simple questions like, ‘How might I develop this concept further?’ It helps me stretch my thinking and question my approach,” she explains.

Reclaiming personal time and building social connections

The benefits of generative AI productivity gains extend beyond the office. Employees such as Adelle McDonald, Customer and Origination Technology Area Executive at ANZ, find that it helps her regain valuable time with her family.

Fotini Papas, Initiative Lead at ANZ, has experienced a shift in her work-life balance since starting to use Copilot for Microsoft 365.

“There were often days when I might have had to work back late because I didn’t get time to type up meeting notes and actions and send them out,” she says. “Now, it’s a five-minute job, which means I am finishing on time and enjoying more personal time.”

Ensuring responsible AI adoption and driving a cultural shift

Throughout its AI journey, ANZ has maintained a strong focus on the safe and secure adoption of this transformative technology. The organisation has implemented a robust framework of ethical guardrails and oversight for AI initiatives, which aligns with its core values and the banking and finance industry’s regulatory requirements.

ANZ has also partnered with Microsoft to launch an AI Immersion Centre at its Melbourne headquarters – a first for the banking sector in Australia and New Zealand. The centre is designed to accelerate the adoption of generative AI at scale by providing ANZ employees with hands-on learning experiences. Initially, the focus will be on building AI literacy among senior leaders, so they can spearhead AI adoption throughout the organisation.

“The AI Immersion Centre is all about inspiring and educating our leaders on AI,” says Parisella. “We want them to understand what’s possible so they can rethink their business models and embrace AI safely and securely.”

To learn more about ANZ’s AI Immersion Centre, please visit