Shannon Finch
Group General Counsel
Westpac Banking Corporation
Shannon Finch joined Westpac in November 2021 as Group Executive, leading the global Legal function. She is the executive sponsor of the RESPECT Employee Advocacy Group, supporting domestic and family violence initiatives, and also champions Westpac’s Walk for a Cure.
Shannon began her legal career at the Commonwealth Attorney General’s Department before joining Mallesons Stephen Jaques (now King & Wood Mallesons), where she spent 25 years in litigation, M&A, and capital markets, including as head of the Sydney office. She later became a senior partner at Jones Day, focusing on M&A, private equity, and financial markets.
She is an executive member of the Business Law Section of the Law Council of Australia and chaired its Corporations Committee from 2018 to 2021. Shannon has served as Deputy Chair of Forward Ability Support and currently sits on the AICD Law Committee. She is also a member of Chief Executive Women, the Australian Corporate Counsel GC100, and a Fellow of the Governance Institute of Australia.
Shannon has received numerous industry accolades, including Australasian Lawyer’s Most Influential Lawyers, Legal 500 GC Powerlist, and Best Lawyers Australia.