The Australian Financial Complaints Authority has added a chief customer officer and chief technology officer to its C-suite.  

It also plans to name its inaugural chief scams officer in coming weeks.

Sydney-based Deborah Jenkins takes the chief customer officer position. She was most recently Department of Employment and Workplace Relations deputy secretary and previously spent seven years at the Tax Office.

AFCA says it is on track to receive more than 110,000 complaints this financial year.

“The demand for our service is as strong as ever and cases are becoming increasingly complex,” CEO David Locke said. “We are strengthening our expertise so we can streamline our processes, make our service easier to use, and manage the sustained high volume of complaints we continue to receive.”

From March 12, AFCA’s jurisdiction will expand to include scam complaints involving “receiving banks” and unauthorised accounts opened by fraudsters, even when the complainant is not a customer.

It will have power to examine whether receiving banks took appropriate measures.

AFCA says the new Scams Prevention Framework requires new systems.

Stevie-Ann Dovico, who has been appointed to the CTO position, says she will lead the design and delivery of a world-first scams ombudsman service.

“We are building a technology-led institution that leverages data, AI, and intelligent automation to detect systemic patterns ... Technology, deployed with rigour and intent, is our most powerful tool to scale fairness and restore confidence in the digital age,” Ms Dovico said.  

She formerly held similar roles at Westpac and NAB and is based in Sydney.

AFCA has also announced that Melbourne-based Brigid Parsonson has been promoted to COO after acting in that role since early last year.