Former ANZ and Barclays executive Catherine McDowell named to ASB's board

ASB has named Catherine McDowell as an independent director, replacing former Fletcher Building CEO Jonathan Ling who stepped down last August.

The Waikato-based McDowell is a former managing director of ANZ Private Wealth, and was managing director of the international division of Barclays Bank between 2003 and 2005.

"She (McDowell) has successfully delivered cultural change programmes for major organisations, resulting in step changes in customer service, performance standards, staff engagement, and governance and control," ASB said in a statement.

McDowell joins two other women, being managing director and CEO Barbara Chapman and independent director Jane Freeman, on ASB's eight member board that's chaired by Gavin Walker.