St George Bank, the Australian banking unit of the Westpac group, has named a new chief executive.

George Frazis takes the top role at the bank, replacing Rob Chapman, who has left the company. Chapman will no longer work with the bank but will act in an advisory position to BankSA, another subsidiary of Westpac.

Frazis joins from Westpac New Zealand, where he served as CEO for the three and a half years. He will be replaced by Peter Clare who previously served as group executive for products and operations at Westpac Group.

St George Bank is headquartered in New South Wales, but also operates in South Australia and the Northern Territory. Its current network is a result of a merger between St George and Westpac in 2008.

The appointments take effect on 2 April 2012.